Uncovering the Past
by acm13
Summary: AU - Naomi moved from Bristol at age 14 and is now back from her first year of Uni, working at the local museum during the summer in a small village by the sea. Emily joins the summer excavation and is captivated by the more experienced and stunningly gorgeous Naomi. - My first ever fanfic and not the best summary! Other Gen 2 characters occupy this story as well.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – So this is the first time I have ever done anything like this but after discovering Skins a couple of months ago and discovering the wonderful and colorful world of fanfiction, I simply had to try my hand in it! Tried to find a setting I hadn't seen before, which, honestly, is hard since there are so many great stories out there… **

**I do not, nor will I ever, own Skins…**

**Chapter 1**

**Naomi's POV**

"Right!" Kieran exclaimed somewhat enthusiastically, "it's that time of the year again, so let's just all work together and try and make it go smoothly this time round, yeah?"

I stopped myself from giving my stepdad a small smile and instead noticed how his smile faltered as he looked expectantly at me and the other employees gathered in the small meeting room of the museum. I loved the guy but he was not the most inspiring leader to have ever lived. Of course, in all fairness, there was nothing exciting about the next few weeks and we all knew it. Every summer, the museum had a six week excavation period where volunteers, mostly pensioners and teenagers, joined in on the ultimate fun that was archaeology. Basically, the pensioners, or dinosaurs as I liked to call them, sat around drinking coffee and bringing home-baked goods for all of us (not that that part was so bad) and on the rare occasion, some of them would actually take photographs or draw profiles of a postholes. Christ, the postholes! Is there anything more exciting than a good 'ole posthole? Short answer here would be YES! Before Mum met Kieran, I was living in blissful ignorance of the world of postholes. He came to Bristol five years ago to consult on an ongoing excavation and my Mum was working at a little deli next to the excavation site. Naturally, it was love at first sight and after a whirlwind romance I was swept away to live in this dump. Okay, so it's not a total dump, it is quite charming and peaceful but when you've just turned 14, a charming, quiet, seaside village isn't really what you're dreaming of. Jesus, I miss those pre-posthole days…

"Ah, Naomi!" Kieran brought me out of my daydreaming of the good 'ole days in Bristol. "Being the youngest here, I thought you might feel up to the challenge of showing the teens the ropes? Unless of course, someone else would like to volunteer?" he asked hopefully and looked around the room. I shot him an annoyed look and pursed my lips. This was the absolute worst task and we all knew it. I glanced around at the others who were either finding their shoes or hands extremely interesting all of a sudden or were straight up smirking at me, the wankers.

"Fuck it", I answered and got to my feet from my sitting position on one of the tables. "I'll do it, take one for the team and all that. How many this year?"

"Only four I'm afraid." Kieran actually sounded a little upset. Personally, I thought four was four too many. You see, the teenagers, the "volunteers" were usually not from around here. They were part of a program where you got the chance to work on a dig and gain experience in case you wanted to join the fantastically interesting world of archaeology but mostly, it looked really good when applying for work or uni. And let's face it THAT was why teenagers came here out of their own free will. In the five years I had worked on these digs with volunteer teenagers, maybe one or two had actually been truly interested in what was going on. I, of course, had been no more interested during the first year than any of the other kids and I was technically too young to be on the dig at the time, so I only got to do simple stuff. The second year, I had just turned 16 and was allowed near the machines and the actual work. And somehow, somewhere during that second summer, I actually started to find things fascinating. In hindsight, it might have had something to do with finding a 2000-year old skeleton all by myself. That was kinda cool and both Mum and Kieran had been so proud they were practically glowing. Plus, that summer I got paid for the work I did…

Kieran handed me clipboard with a list of names and went through the different stations I was to show them during the first week. I already knew the drill of course, having done this for years but this was the first time I was in charge of the group and I was feeling a little anxious. I knew these were kids who had either just finished or were starting their second year of college. Reminding myself of the fact that they were a year or two younger than me made some of the nervousness recede. He wished me good luck with a weird look on his face, sympathy perhaps, and patted me gently on the shoulder. I sighed as he hurried away and shook my head as I walked towards the main building where the assembly of teens and dinosaurs were waiting.

"Ah, speak of the devil!" Doug, the museum inspector said, smiling eagerly, "I was just explaining to these fine young people that you are our proudest product and would take great care of them". I smiled shyly as the dinosaurs all gave me pleasant smiles and nods acknowledging Doug's compliment.

"Hello everyone! I'm Naomi, as Doug might have mentioned and I will be helping some of you getting settled here." Believing I actually pulled off sounding confident AND enthusiastic, I continued, "so, when I call your name, please come and stand by me." I looked down at the list of names and read the first name out loud, "Jonah J. Jones?" A shy-looking boy with a head full of curly, unruly dark-brown hair raised his hand like he was at assembly and walked up to me.

He looked at me and smiled, "You can call me JJ, all my friends call me JJ" he stated proudly but then his resolve faltered and he started to ramble, "not that I am insinuating that you and I are friends, in fact, I realize that you are in fact an authority figure and as such, I would never presume that we were equal and now, I have already messed up and I haven't even started working yet and.."

"JJ!" I said sternly and placed my hand on his left shoulder, squeezing it slightly. He stopped his rambling and blinked intensely as he met my eye. "It's nice to meet you", I simply said and gave him a bright smile. That made him relax and he smiled back shyly. I returned to the list and called the next name. "Katie Fitch?" A small brunette inappropriately wearing high heels and a little too much makeup considering that she was going to be spending the next six weeks digging and transporting dirt, sashayed, yes sashayed her way up to where JJ and I were standing.

"Present." She simply stated and raised an indifferent eyebrow as I tried to give her an earnest smile. I could already tell she was going to be a handful.

"Next, Elisabeth Stonem?"

"Effy", a raspy voice called out somewhat indifferently as a young woman walked up and stood next to JJ, hooking his arm with hers. I cast a curious look at her and was met by a pair of beautiful blue eyes slightly darker than my own. There was a slight challenge in her eyes, as if to say that I shouldn't expect her to present herself to me in any way, shape or form, in other words not acknowledging my seniority. However, there was nothing hostile in her challenging gaze which kind of made me respect her a little.

Back to the list then and surprisingly, another Fitch appeared. Sisters? Cousins? Surely Fitch wasn't that common a name. "Right then, last but not least, Emily Fitch?" I asked and lifted my gaze, curious to see if there was any obvious family resemblance. A petit redhead appeared from behind a large male dinosaur and looked very cautious as she walked towards us. She seemed the polar opposite to the other Fitch who had a simmer of confidence about her but aside from that, they looked very similar. I didn't really get a good look at her face until she was standing right in front of me and looked up to meet my eyes. I instantly felt myself drown in the most beautifully dark pair of hazel-eyes I had ever seen. They were warm and full of excitement but still seemed to express a vulnerability and shyness that wanted me to wrap her in my arms and protect her from the world. I stood there, speechless and probably gawking while thinking; _shit, shit, shit! _over and over again.

"Hi, Naomi", she said in a small, yet husky voice and I was utterly mesmerized. _Shit, shit shit! _Without braking eye contact I swallowed hard, tried to smile and gestured that she should join what was obviously her twin sister, JJ and Effy. She held my gaze for what felt like forever but in truth was probably no more than a few seconds before giving me the cutest little crooked half-smile and retreating to her sister's side. I followed her with my eyes as she walked away and caught myself staring once again. _Christ Naomi, pull yourself together! _I couldn't though and was still staring at Emily when Doug came to my rescue.

"Right then, now that you are all acquainted, welcome to the Ogmore-by-Sea Pre-historic Museum summer excavation!" Doug proclaimed and led the dinosaurs into the actual museum grounds for a lengthy tour, leaving me alone with the teenagers. Katie had gotten her iPhone out and looked out of place and bored already. JJ was gazing lovingly at Effy, who still had her arm hooked with his but was smirking at me with an odd, questioning look in her eye. _What's that about?_ Emily's eyes had thankfully retreated to the floor as she once again seemed timid, standing slightly behind her twin sister. I let out a silent sigh and faced the group.

"Our first stop is to the changing rooms and once everyone is dressed _appropriately_", I emphasized the word and let my eyes drift to Katie before continuing, "we will jump in the van and visit the site itself. Sound good?" I didn't actually wait for anyone to reply and simply started walking towards the common dressing room. I did however overhear Katie incredulously asking Emily what the hell I meant by appropriately, claiming that she looked fucking fantastic and that the blond bitch didn't know what she was talking about…

The excavation site was a ten minute drive south of the museum, on a hill overlooking the sea. A farmer living on the outskirts of the field we were in had opened his home and thankfully his bathroom to us for the full six weeks. As I explained this to the group on the way there, Katie gasped in horror at the idea of otherwise having to pee in a port-a-potty and made a point of thanking the old farmer heartedly when I introduced the gang. I was happy to see a softer, less aggressive side of Katie and was starting to hope that this wouldn't be a disaster after all. That is, until we started to ascend the steep hill and she fell back, constantly complaining and out of breath. JJ and Effy were trailing shortly behind me as I set a steady pace and I was surprised to see that Emily had left Katie's side and was running to catch up to me. The sight of her running towards me with an excited look on her face made my heart literally skip a beat and I couldn't help but smile. _What are you doing?_ I asked myself. _You don't even know this girl!_

Emily walked next to me for a while and I was finding it difficult to start up a conversation. Luckily, she came to my rescue.

"Sorry about Katie." She said exasperated. "I don't think she was expecting to actually have to do any work", she explained.

I gave her a curious look. "And exactly what _was_ she expecting then?"

Emily gave a little laugh and replied, "I'm not sure. She saw some pretty pictures of beaches and shirtless boys digging holes in the ground and thought this would be a great idea…"

"Is that why you came along too?"

She looked horrified and quickly answered, "No! No, this was my idea from the beginning. I'm the history-fanatic and thought it would be fun…" She looked down towards Katie. "I also thought I would get to spend 6 weeks alone, but alas, she saw the brochure and boys, etc. etc. and here we are". She gasped and her hand went up to cover her mouth, realizing that she just badmouthed her twin. "I'm sorry, that was completely inappropriate for me to say! Really, I love my sister. It's great that she's here with me. Please don't tell her I said anything!" She looked absolutely terrified and therefore, absolutely adorable.

I laughed and shook my head. "It's okay Emily, I will keep schtum." She sent me a shy smile that I couldn't help but return. "Besides, part of my job is to keep you safe, so I guess that includes protecting you from the wrath of your sister." She sent me an even bigger smile and I think I actually felt my heart melt a little. _Jesus Christ, Naomi._ I cleared my throat and realized we had finally reached the top of the hill. I stopped and waited for the others to join us.

"We started excavating this hill site last year, thinking that it wouldn't take longer than the summer". I smiled warmly at them and particularly at Emily. "Obviously, we were wrong and we kept discovering new buildings or graves that kept us intrigued." Katie rolled her eyes as I said the word intrigued and I was actually starting to lose my patience with her. Effy looked as indifferent as she had from the start but JJ had let go of her arm and was gazing hungrily at the site. Clearly, he was eager to literally get his hands dirty.

I gave them a quick tour of the old sites and tried to describe what the site had actually looked like 2000 years ago. It was the same speech I had given visitors during last summer's dig and I noticed that Effy's indifference becoming less prominent as I was describing the beautiful gravesite we had found. I didn't quite know what to make of the girl since she had this whole mystery-thing going for her, but something about that gravesite had caught her interest, that much I was sure of. JJ seemed to suck everything in and sometimes even made correct remarks regarding Celtic culture, which naturally surprised me. We were nearing the new site and I paused to go through some safety measures regarding the machines when someone jumped me from behind.

"Blondie!" Cook yelled way too close to my ear as he jumped on my back, laughing.

"Jesus Christ, Cook!" I shook him off me and gave him a stern look and rubbed the ear he had shouted in. He grinned at me and pulled me into his arms, hugging me so tight I could hardly breathe.

He must have noticed the group because he let me go and turned to them, being his most charming self. "Well hello there, lovely ladies" he said and gave them one of his dazzling, naughty smiles. Seeing JJ, he winked and quickly added, "and lad!"

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the group. Katie was eyeing Cook like he was a piece of meat and giggling suggestively as he shook her hand and introduced himself. Effy was aloof and seemingly immune to Cook's infectious good mood but shook his hand nonetheless. JJ got his hair ruffled after greeting Cook and didn't really seem to mind the slightly patronizing gesture. Cook greeted Emily last and I was surprised to see her shoot him an angry look. This of course only made Cook pull the back of her hand up to his lips and give it a quick kiss as he winked at her. This seemed to lessen her irritation and she smiled shyly and looked down at her boots.

I sighed but smiled affectionately at Cook. "This is James Cook, otherwise known as Cook, the Cookiemonster or Tosser, as I personally like to call him." He grabbed his chest with both hands and feigned hurt at my last remark. "This will mark his fourth summer with us and he is among other things, working the machines." I smiled slyly and continued, "He is also head of our welcoming committee which you will all likely discover soon." I winked at him and he tilted his head back and laughed. _I do love his laugh_.

I sent JJ and, reluctantly, Emily with Cook to get an introduction to working alongside the machines and spent the rest of the morning in the delightful company of Katie Fitch and Effy Stonem.

**So! What did you think? If you feel for it, I would truly appreciate any type of feedback. Next chapter is written and waiting to be uploaded.. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – so I decided to upload this right away since it was already written and I might as well (guess I'm a bit eager after all). **

**I do not own Skins**

**Chapter 2**

**Emily's POV**

The first few days had been amazing! I had spent the first day following machines that were uncovering the past before my eyes. Cook had showed us how to identify something that was unnatural and therefore human and mark it for the GPS-people. After lunch, Naomi had taken us back to the museum to change back into our normal clothes before she had driven us to our new accommodations. I had no idea where we were staying, just that we had full room and board. Turns out it was Naomi's mother, Gina, who ran a small bed-and-breakfast by the beach, who had agreed to host us for the coming weeks. The rooms were small and simple, with a comfy bed and a small desk and a chair and a closet. I had assumed that we would be sharing rooms but when Naomi and Gina showed us to our rooms, I discovered that for the first time in 18 years, I would NOT be sharing a room with my twin. Naturally, I was ecstatic! This was partly why I had hoped to come here on my own, because everything we had ever done, we had done together, always together. Naomi saw the excited look on my face as the realization dawned on me that I would have my own room and explained that Gina didn't know that sister's would be coming and that if she had, she might have put us in a double room. I spent the rest of the night thanking my lucky stars that Gina was kept out of the loop regarding our kinship. Naomi left us to unpack our gear and shower and said she would be back in time for dinner.

I was sort of sad to see her go, since she had been so nice and helpful during the morning. She had this way of looking at me, I can't explain it, but it made me feel like I was, I don't know, important. Usually, Katie commands people's attention and I am used to being somewhat ignored. I swear, sometimes at college, the teachers forgot I was an actual person and called me Katie more often than Emily. We're not even identical for Christ's sake and I even dyed my hair red to gain some sense of individuality!

Still, being invisible had its perks sometimes. While Katie was busy with boyfriend after boyfriend, I was busy with school and work. I babysat for our neighbors and was eventually recommended for a job last summer at a daycare center. They wanted me back this year but I really wanted to come here since I was a self-proclaimed history-buff. Adding the allure of being on my own for six weeks and there was really no way I could turn this down. That was before I realized that Katie had also applied and by no small wonder got accepted.

After a quick but much needed shower, I was sitting in my room waiting for dinner to be served. I had asked Gina if she needed help with anything but she had just smiled and said I should enjoy my spare time, for now at least. I was surprised to hear a knock on my door and even more surprised to see Effy entering my room. She hadn't said a word to me all day but then again, that wasn't uncommon where I was concerned. I smiled at her and gestured that she should join me on the bed. Naturally, she did the opposite and sat down on my desk. I had a feeling she didn't allow others to dictate her life and simply shrugged as she settled her blue gaze on me.

"So," she started, "your sister is…. Colorful." She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at me while saying colorful.

I sighed and answered, "What has she done now?"

"Not much really. She barged into my room exclaiming that we were to be the bestest of friends and started rambling on about how fit that Cook-guy we met earlier was." I felt relieved, this didn't sound too bad. Then Effy continued, "then she threw a fit and started screaming at poor JJ because she decided she wanted a shower and he was taking too long. She ended up forcing him to open the door whilst wearing only a towel, which he was clearly not comfortable with." I buried my face in my hands and shook my head. I looked up and saw Effy smiling slightly. This was the first time I had seen her smile and it, unsurprisingly, made her even more beautiful.

"JJ got off lucky", I replied with a sad smirk, "last year on a school trip to the Isle of Wight, she basically did the same thing, except she actually pulled the poor guy's towel off him, effectively making him moon and streak for the entire college form." I saw a hint of genuine amusement in Effy's eyes and felt oddly satisfied at the idea of making this mysterious beauty laugh. She had also showered and was sporting no make at all but her eyes were so powerfully blue that you felt them look right through you even without the enhancement of mascara and eyeliner. I started to feel guilty about badmouthing my sister, and quickly added, "She isn't always like that, you know. She is fiercely loyal once you get on her good side and she will defend you tirelessly." Effy nodded at that and we heard Gina calling out that dinner was ready.

I went to check on JJ before going joining Katie and Effy for dinner and found him sitting outside on a bench overlooking the private beach. He looked deep in thought, so I simply sat down next to him and waited for him to acknowledge my presence. I ended up startling him, probably because for a split second, he thought I was Katie.

"Emily! Hi!"

I smiled. "Hi, JJ. What are you doing out here? Dinner is ready, you know."

"Yes. Yes, I was just reminiscing about the events of the day." He turned to look at me. "It was a great first day, don't you think?" he asked excitedly. I gathered that he wasn't too affected by Katie's hissy fit earlier, so I decided not to mention it. Instead, I simply shot him a genuine smile and nodded in agreement. We sat there in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the view and the sound of the crashing waves before my stomach rumbled loudly and JJ couldn't help but laugh.

We were still sitting at the dinner table when we saw Cook sneak in quietly behind Gina who was putting some dishes in the dishwasher. He put a finger to his lips and gestured to us that we should stay quiet. Katie beamed at him and sat up straight all of a sudden instead of slouching on the bench like she had just moments ago. JJ gave Cook a big smile and I couldn't help but get the feeling that Cook had more than one admirer amongst us. Even if JJ's admiration was not of the can't-wait-to-rip-your-clothes-off-with-my-teeth-sort of way. Effy just watched with a slight smirk across her face.

"GINAAAA!" Cook shouted, scooping her up in his arms from behind her, laughing. I expected Gina to have a similar reaction to Naomi's to Cook's surprise attack, but instead of annoyance, she simply chuckled and patted him on the arms.

"I missed you too, James." She said as he put her down and gave her a proper embrace. His face lit up in a strange smile at her comment. "I have prepared the shed for you again, is that okay?" I couldn't help but think a shed wasn't a very nice place to send someone you obviously cared about but Cook just laughed and embraced her again, lifting her up and swinging her around. _He must really like sheds…_

"Put my Mum down, you tosser!" Naomi had walked in behind us without my noticing. Cook obliged and pulled up a chair next to JJ, ruffling his hair again like he had at the dig site. Naomi walked up to her Mum and they exchanged some words before Gina excused herself with a smile and left us in the kitchen. Naomi handed Cook a plate of food and sat down next to him and dug into her own. She was sitting directly in front of me and had that freshly showered glow about her. I couldn't help myself and since she was busy eating, I took the opportunity to study her while the rest of the group started discussing footballers. I had noticed her cerulean eyes the minute she had walked into the assembly room at the museum earlier that day. She wasn't wearing makeup or at least, I hadn't noticed any and yet her eyes just seemed to glow. It was like they were pulling me in and every time I was able to tare myself away from staring at her, those eyes seemed to pull me right back in. Her blonde hair had been hidden under a cap at the museum, which I understood as we got to the dig site. The wind was quite rough and my own hair kept running wild despite having it sealed in a bun. Now she had let her hair down and for some reason, the blonde hair curving softly around her face made her eyes stand out even more. She was wearing a simple, white tank top and skinny jeans and she was by far the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. My eyes started to wander down her neckline, to her collarbone and her shoulders and long, toned arms. I got a little locked on to her fingers and the gold ring she had on her left middle finger.

"It was Granddad's", she said quietly and smiled at my startled look at having been caught staring at her. "He died a few years back and Mum said he wanted me to have it". For a minute she looked a little sad at the memory but quickly composed herself by shaking her head once in disbelief and then went back to eating.

"I'm sorry", I said, not quite sure whether I was apologizing for staring at her or for her Granddad dying. Either way, she didn't really acknowledge it. I turned my attention to the rest of the group that had now gone on to discuss and plan Friday's welcoming party. We stayed in the kitchen for a few hours, laughing and getting to know each other a little better. Cook was the perfect buffer, balancing my sister's bitchiness, the enigma that was Effy and JJ's awkwardness. As usual, not much attention was given me but every once in a while I noticed Naomi glancing my way when I had been quiet for too long.

At nine we said our goodnights and got ready for bed. Naomi and Cook were picking us up at 6.30 the next morning, despite Katie's strong protests on the matter.

**Naomi's POV**

The first week had actually not been half-bad. Both JJ and Emily were enthusiastic and worked hard and were more or less working independently at this point. Effy was less interested but I had discovered that she was great with a pen and had assigned her to drawing profiles and sketches since Tuesday. She had just finished a sketch of a grave of a mother and child and honestly, I think she had captured the spirit and details better than any photograph could have. Katie had stopped complaining about the early mornings and had instead started to get everyone coffees during the first break at 8.30 a.m. It was not the biggest gesture, as I'm sure it was mostly selfish since she wanted coffee herself but she remembered how everyone liked their coffee and brought them to us with a smile on her face. All in all, there was a nice group-dynamic building and I found that I liked these kids a lot more than I thought I would.

We had sent Mum and Kieran out for the evening and Emily, Effy and I were preparing dinner while Katie and Cook were making a large bowl of sangria. JJ was on the phone with his mum, like he was every evening. Apparently, she had been quite reluctant in letting him join the program and wanted to check up on him on a daily basis. He had confided in Cook earlier that he suffered from Asperger's which really wasn't all that surprising. Cook had taken a liking to JJ from the start and somehow knowing that he had to take extra care, brought out a softer and more mature side of Cook. _Ha! I can't believe I just used the word "mature" to describe Cook. This is the same Cook who on Monday, proudly exclaimed he was going to nail Katie tonight at the welcoming party._ Looking at the two of them now, I can honestly say that I don't think he really had his work cut out for him on that account. She was openly flirting with him and he used every chance he had to touch and tickle her. At one point she was sitting in his lap while they were sampling the sangria, despite there being 8 empty chairs and a bench to sit on. _Ah, young love_.

Keeping with the Spanish/Mexican theme, we had made tacos and bought enough tequila to last us a lifetime. As we sat down to eat, Cook lined up the first row of tequila shots and proclaimed that it was good for the digestion to do at least two shots before eating. We naturally obliged and I can only say that I fucking _hate_ tequila. Nevertheless, I continued to down the shots he placed in front of me. The sangria was actually quite tasty and got rid of the tequila-taste that seemed to linger in my mouth. By 9 p.m. we were all hammered and dancing around in the kitchen to loud music. I was surprised at how upbeat Effy seemed to be when drunk. She was dancing and laughing with JJ who kept picking her up and twirling her around. Katie and Cook were already eating each other in a corner, which was disgusting but I still smiled as they took a breather and I managed to make eye contact with him. Seeing Katie genuinely smiling made me realize how similar her and Emily actually were, which then of course made me aware of the fact that I couldn't recall seeing Emily for quite some time. I felt a little worried and went out in search for her, stopping to grab a bottle of tequila on the way.

I found her sitting on the bench by the beach. There were no lights out there but I could see her red hair glistening in the moonlight.

"It's beautiful", she said as I sat down next to her. "It's a beautiful place."

"It's one of my favorites", I simply answered and she smiled shyly at me. We sat there in silence for a while passing the tequila-bottle between us.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she finally asked. I took another swig of the tequila, grimaced as I swallowed and nodded at her. "I fucking hate tequila!" she exclaimed, taking the bottle from my hand, lifting it to her lips and taking a huge gulp. I caught myself staring at her lips as she licked a drop of tequila from her finger. I finally let out a small laugh at her statement.

"Yeah well, that makes two of us then." I said in agreement and took the bottle from her again.

"Next party we have, I will fucking choose what we get off our faces with, deal?!"

"Whoa, Ems! Don't go all Katie on me now..." I said laughing, holding my hands up in mock defense. That earned me a huge Emily-smile and a hard punch to my shoulder. Her smile was more evident in her eyes than anywhere else and I found that I couldn't break eye contact. In the dark, her eyes seemed almost black but somehow still seemed to gleam in the moonlight. _ I could easily get lost in those… _I'm not sure how long we sat there, gazing into each other's eyes but I remember my stomach fluttering and never wanting that feeling to stop. Unfortunately, it did as Katie and Cook came crashing out of the building, lips locked, hands groping and clothes coming off. They were unaware of our presence and I could see Emily was a bit uncomfortable at the sight, although it couldn't have been the first time she saw her sister getting it on. I grabbed her hand and pulled her down towards the beach, giggling.

**Emily's POV**

Naomi's hand in mine caused a ripple of electricity to course through my body. When we reached the beach and hid behind a sand dune, out of sight from the B'n'B, she unfortunately let go of it. Her warm touch lingered though and I found I had trouble gathering my thoughts. Just minutes ago, she had teased me and used my nickname before staring into my eyes for what felt like hours. Her eyes seemed brighter in the moonlight, not really sure how that was even physically possible since it was hard to make out any of her features in the dark, aside from her eyes. She was laughing delightfully and handed me the damned tequila bottle again. I was already quite hammered but took a swig anyway before handing it back to her. She lay down in the sand and patted the sand next to her. I was expecting it to be cold but the last few days had been excruciatingly warm and the sand still had some warmth left from being bathed in sunlight all day. Naomi sighed in contently and started babbling about stars being brighter and more beautiful when you were lying on a beach with an absence of light. I was happy just listening to her and following her pointed finger as she explained some constellations here and there. I found it increasingly hard to focus on what she was saying and I'm not really sure whether it was the tequila or the fact that our shoulders were touching and our faces were getting increasingly close as she lent in to point out more stars and the occasional planet to me. Our faces were inches apart and I almost couldn't contain myself. I stopped following her pointed finger and turned my head to just look at her. She noticed and put her hand down and copied my action. Our foreheads were almost touching and I could feel her body heat making my skin tingle. She had stopped talking and simply held my eyes firmly in her gaze. There was a slight shift in her expression as her pupils dilated and started to voice something I hadn't seen before. She bit her lower lip and broke eye contact as she reached out and tugged a few runaway strands of my hair gently behind my ear. I tensed at her touch and she must have taken it the wrong way as she quickly snapped out of her seemingly mesmerized state and moved away from me.

She cleared her throat, got up and said, "Right then. Should we go back and see if Cook's done showing your sister a good 'ole time?" With that, she started back towards the B'n'B, not really stopping to see if I was following.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN - Okay, so the first three chapters I wrote in one day (Sunday) and I think somewhere along the line, I got a little sidetracked. I wanted to move the story along but not too quickly, so I'm not quite happy with this chapter.. **

**I still do not own Skins..**

**Chapter 3 **

**Naomi's POV**

I woke up Saturday morning feeling like someone had hit me over the back of the head, no wait, front of the head, no fuck it; all over my head, with a baseball bat. Turns out downing the majority of a bottle of tequila alongside more than a few glasses of sangria wasn't gentle on the body. I moaned and slowly turned around to reach my nightstand where I had been smart enough to place a bottle of water before passing out. I was absolutely parched and drank the whole thing in one big gulp. _Pills, need pills._ I staggered out of bed and into my bathroom where I kept my small pharmacy of pain medication. I downed two and refilled my water bottle before I crawled back into bed and waited for the pills to work their magic. About an hour or so later, I was feeling well enough to jump in the shower. As I let the warm water gently massage my alcohol poisoned body, my mind drifted to the events of last night.

_After I left Emily on the beach, I went in search of Cook and found him smoking a spliff outside his shed. How long had I been with Emily at the beach? He immediately saw I was in a pissy mood and offered me the spliff, which I quickly accepted._

"_What's got your knickers in a twist babe?" He asked as I handed him the spliff._

_I leant back and rested my back and head against the wall of the shed, closing my eyes in the process. I didn't feel like answering his question, I just felt like being close to someone who would make me laugh and forget what I was feeling. Cook had a way of doing both of that but tonight of all nights he chose to be insightful like he actually gave a fuck. Tosser. _

"_Babe? Babe!" he asked again. I opened my eyes and shot him a look that should have told him to leave me alone but he was a little thick and kept pushing. His next comment took me completely by surprise though. "It wouldn't have anything to do with that cute little redhead I saw you drag down to the beach earlier, would it?" he winked at me and made some crude, insinuating thrusting movements with his crouch in the process._

_I glared at him. "You saw us? I thought you were too busy proving your point with the evil twin?"_

"_Blondie, your hair kind of lights up in the moonlight, I saw you as soon as Katie dragged me out there". He threw his head back and laughed that infectious Cook-laugh before adding, "I was hoping you might stay for the show!"_

"_You're disgusting." _

"_Yeah well, at least I got some, eh babe". _

_I sighed and shook my head at him. Cook was crude, disgusting and really didn't give a fuck about anything or anyone, except maybe me and Mum. He was sent here three years ago as part of a sentence he had gotten for beating another boy half to death at a party. It wasn't his first run in with the police and his sorry excuse of a mother decided jail would be an excellent place for her 16 year old son and refused to help him. Not that she didn't have the means, nope, she was loaded, which was part of the problem I suppose. Cook's lawyer took a liking to him though and got the judge to make a deal regarding Cook. He was to spend the summer doing community work far away from Derby and his slightly criminal ways and as a result, he was sent here. Turns out, Doug was his lawyer's cousin and he had been more than excited at the prospect of making an impact in a troubled young man's life. I swear, sometimes I think Doug would have made an excellent teacher because he really does care and his enthusiasm is nothing if not contagious. Cook ended up staying for an entire year before heading back to Derby, living with Mum and Kieran. He came back every summer and worked on the different sites while getting me in all sorts of trouble during the weekends. He finished college this summer, one year later than he was supposed to, but hey at least he finished and we were all proud of him. He had become like a son to Mum and Kieran and he truly was my brother and I loved him to pieces. This was the exact reason he knew to comment of the redhead. He came to visit me at Uni a couple of months ago and I had confided some things in him that were seemingly about to burst out anyway._

_I sighed loudly and closed my eyes. "What the fuck is wrong with me, Cook?"_

_He laughed again and shrugged. "So you want to shag the redhead? Who the fuck can blame ya? I sure as hell can't! I wonder if they are completely identical… Hey!" he jumped as I punched him hard in the chest. _

"_Leave her alone, perv! And who said anything about shagging her?"_

"_Aahh, you did Blondie, you've been doing it all week – with your eyes anyway." Fuck, was he right? "And she's been throwing some pretty obvious looks your way too". She has?_

"_Christ, I really thought I was done with this shit…" I shook my head, said goodnight to Cook and went in search of my bed._

This past week I had spent most of my spare time going over my interactions with Emily in my mind. I really tried my best to stay professional and not treat her any differently than I did her sister or the others. But it was hard. I was insanely attracted to her and every time our eyes met, I felt my heart stop and I kept blushing when she smiled at me. Since I had been showing them around, I had to get both mine and their hands dirty and on more than one occasion, I had to show Emily how to do something by guiding her hands with my own. The mere proximity of her made my stomach flutter and touching her hands had made my heart race with a million beats per second. Showing Emily things always seemed to take a bit longer than with the others, despite the fact that she was the fastest learner of the bunch. I relished in her company and was ecstatic every time we happened to sit close to each other during breaks. This, to my surprise, seemed to happen a lot. On the third day, temperatures had reached more than 30°C and the sun was excruciating. I made sure everyone applied sunscreen and kept hydrated. Oddly enough, Katie was ecstatic and seemed to work a lot harder when the sun was out. Emily later told me that Katie had never been as tanned as the summer their Dad had forced them to help out in their garden and Katie had learned that the best way to get a tan wasn't to lie around but to move around and sweat. The weather was even warmer on Thursday and everyone had started to dress accordingly. The safety boots had to be worn though but we had all switched to shorts and tops. That's when Emily really became a distraction. She was incredible. I kept glancing in her direction and feeling a little annoyed that she was such a fast learner, seeing as she never needed my help anymore. But at least I got to enjoy the sight of her toned legs and arms from afar and honestly, I didn't do much else that day. By Friday, I had decided to start focusing on the work at hand instead of picturing having my hands on Emily. It was working rather well during the morning but in the afternoon, she had disappeared into a deep hole where she was excavating a well and when I went to check on her, I actually fell into the hole thanks to her. She was taking a water break, sweating and panting slightly from the exercise. She had taken her fucking top off, leaving her in short shorts and a bikini top, leaving me to drop my jaw and drool over her tight stomach with abs showing with each deep breath. I literally lost my footing and slid halfway into the hole and she came running to my side to make sure I didn't hurt myself. I blushed at her concerned, yet teasing look and excused myself after making sure she was coping alright with the well. During Friday's party, I really hadn't spent that much time talking to her until I found her on the beach, which, of course, had been intentional. It's just that as soon as I got wasted, I couldn't stay away.

I got out of the shower and draped a towel around me before setting about getting a bikini out of my yet to be unpacked bags. I was rummaging through my things when someone knocked softly on my door.

"Yeah?" I answered, annoyed and assuming it was Mum coming to check on me.

"Sorry, but your Mum said you might…" Emily stuck her head through my door as she was talking but stopped midsentence when she saw me in my towel. Her face turned red and she diverted her eyes, even if it took a while for her to do so. "Sorry, your Mum said you might have some painkillers? Katie is refusing to get out of bed…" she looked a little flustered still.

I smiled and thought back to what Cook had said about her throwing me looks. "Of course, hang on." I rushed into the bathroom and held out an assortment of painkillers for her. "What do you want?"

She hesitantly closed the distance between us and took some of the pills from my hands, brushing her fingers along my palms in the process. I felt a jolt of electricity course through me at her touch and it took an enormous effort on my part not to allow my knees to buckle. She was standing so close, in a fucking transparent beach dress with a red and black bikini visible underneath. The dress was suggestively showing her slim waistline and my perving gaze went up and down her body before finally settling on her face. She was smirking slightly and something had shifted in her expression. Her eyes turned an even darker shade as her pupils dilated and she took another step towards me, emitting a confidence I hadn't witnessed in her before. It was all too much; I was basically _naked_ and looking at an equally, basically _naked _and confident Emily Fitch. I gasped slightly as she stood on her toes, leaned in and whispered "see something you like, Naomi?" suggestively in my ear. With that, she left me standing there in my towel with my entire body on fire and probably, visibly drooling. _Where the hell did that come from?_

**Emily's POV**

I walked as slowly and confidently out of Naomi's room as I could muster. 'see something you like, Naomi?' _Where the hell did that come from?_ As I reached Katie's room, I took a few deep breaths before knocking ever so softly on her door. "Katie? I have some pills for you now." I said as I cracked the door open. She was lying on her stomach looking absolutely miserable, makeup smeared across her face and her dark hair in a mess.

"What the fuck did I drink last night, Emsy?" she asked me, while swallowing the pills along with a few big gulps of water I had brought with me.

I held out my hand and counted on my fingers; "Tequila, sangria and more tequila", I answered and smiled at my twin as she groaned loudly. "We all did and we all feel like shit right now but Gina made these amazing pancakes and I saved some for you." She lit up at the mention of pancakes.

"You did?" she asked with surprise.

I nodded, "and some eggs, bacon and toast. Oh, and there's fresh coffee as well." She surprised me by pulling me into an unprecedented embrace in an unusual display of affection. This was quite out of character for my twin, especially considering her current physical state. Neither mornings nor hangovers were her best of times. Not wanting to disrupt her happy and peaceful state of mind, I left her to get dressed and told her we were going down to the beach to spend the day. I quickly grabbed my things and went to join JJ, Effy and Cook at the beach. There was no sign of Naomi yet but given the state I had just left her in, dressed in a towel I mean, she would probably be a while.

Katie joined us before Naomi did and she was looking a lot better than when I'd left her. Breakfast along with painkillers had done wonders and she was back to her old self. She did seem a lot happier than I had seen her in a while and when I saw Cook greet her with a peck on the cheek before he ran off to chase JJ into the water, I realized he was the reason for her mood change. _Oh my god, she actually likes him!_ She had blushed slightly when he kissed her and smiled as he ran into the sea. Sure, he had a boyish charm and he was always entertaining to be around and to go as far as to shag him, I could almost understand. No, actually, I could definitely not understand that at all. He was loud, obnoxious and at times quite disgusting. His only redeeming factor was his easygoing manner, making anyone and everyone feel at easy. When I first met him, I thought he might have been involved with Naomi because they seemed so close. It only took me a few hours to understand that they were more like siblings than lovers and I have to admit that I felt relieved. I couldn't understand it at the time, but thought of Naomi and Cook made my blood boil and not in a good way. Oddly enough, the thought of Katie and Cook didn't really bother me.

I joined Effy for a stroll down the beach and enjoyed the silence she always offered. I was lost in thought of my earlier encounter with a towel-draped Naomi when Effy broke the silence. "Did anything happen between you last night?" she asked casually as she lit up a fag.

I stopped cold in my tracks and gaped at her. "No! I mean, who…" I shook my head, "I mean, what are you talking about?"

She didn't bother actually answering me and instead just raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

I sighed. It's not like I wasn't dying to talk to someone about her, not like I wasn't dying to talk to someone in general about all the things that had happened in the past year but Katie was the absolute least likely person to understand and I didn't have any close friends I trusted enough. There was something about Effy that inspired confidentiality, probably because it was hard to imagine her saying more than a few sentences a week, which would never be enough to rat anyone out, even if she wanted to. I made a quick decision and once I opened the floodgates, there was no stopping me. I explained how I found Naomi stunningly beautiful and how I kept thinking she might be attracted to me because of all the looks and moments we had been having, culminating in last night right here on the beach and earlier this morning. How I had found a way to sit next to her during all of the breaks and how I always got up a little earlier every morning just so I could eat my breakfast with her. I explained how I didn't even know I had it in me to lean in and whisper things in her ear, it was so out of character for me and I had no idea what had come over me. She simply smiled and let me get it all out of my system. Once I stopped talking we started walking again, slowly back down to the others. They were still a bit off though when she asked me the one question I really wanted an answer to myself.

"So… Are you gay?"

"How should I know?" I answered, exasperated. "Being gay actually requires experience with girls, right? I mean how can I be sure if I haven't even shagged a girl?"

"Have you shagged boys then?" She asked and looked at me curiously.

I was almost offended at the question. People had a habit of assuming that I was inexperienced simply because I wasn't throwing myself at everyone like Katie seemingly did. Looking at Effy, I somehow doubted that she followed that train of thought and I couldn't really take offence. "Yes, I have." I hesitated before continuing, "although I never really saw the point, so I haven't really been very active on that front recently". We were getting closer to the others and I had run out of things to say. There was however something I wanted to ask Effy.

"How did you know to ask?" I looked at her expectantly. "I mean about Naomi…"

She replied with a shrug and walked back to her towel, leaving me no less confused than I had before the big heart-to-heart or whatever the hell that was

**If you feel inspired to, please let me know what you think! I am thankful for any and all feedback **


	4. Chapter 4

**AN – A shorter chapter this time, written this evening, almost solely Naomily interaction of the unrated kind (intense perving may or may not take place during the course of this chapter). Thank you to everyone who has read it so far and feel free to let me know what you think of it!**

**Again, Skins – not my invention..**

**Chapter 4**

**Naomi's POV**

I tried not to stare at her, I really did. But how are you supposed to spend an entire day at the beach without noticing how people look without most of their clothes on? I mean, I noticed that JJ was actually quite fit; his upper body was clearly used to some kind of regular exercise, although he seemed completely unaware of his impressive physique. He was even uncomfortable when he finally got rid of the t-shirt he was wearing but Cook made a point of expressing his jealousy of JJ's pec's and after that, the shy boy seemed more relaxed. Effy's face sported more than a few freckles after a couple of hours in the sun and made her look slightly less mysterious and a whole lot younger. So was it really all that bad that I also happened to notice that Katie and Emily were definitely _not_ identical? Katie was beautiful, really, there was no doubt about it. She was quite tanned and the white bikini she was wearing really emphasized that. She was also really fit and every little detail was perfect, from her nails to each strand of chestnut hair. The beach really seemed to be her element, as opposed to the windy hilltop I had previously observed her in. I suppose the only thing that was speaking against her, was the fact that Emily was her twin. Emily was a completely different story. Her red hair seemed to make the soft features of her face stand out a little more and her eyes seemed darker than her sister's. The red and black bikini seemed to match her hair and eyes perfectly and despite having already laid eyes on that wonder she called a stomach earlier during the week, I couldn't keep my eyes off it. Every time she laughed, I could see abs rippling underneath what looked like silky-smooth skin. It actually made me feel slightly inadequate, even though I was quite proud of my hard-earned four-pack. I had had two 'white months' during the spring, meaning no alcohol whatsoever, and spent hours at the gym getting rid of the excess weight the first year of Uni had added to my otherwise lean physique. I was used to having toned arms and legs thanks to moving a ton of dirt across a field every day for the past five summers (I should really thank Kieran for that) but once again, Emily put me to shame.

When she shifted position on her towel, the muscles in her upper arms would show ever so slightly and her back was lean and curving perfectly towards her petit, plump backside. Since she was pocket-sized, she didn't have particularly long legs but that didn't make them any less of an impressive sight. I kept wondering how she got this fit and actually contemplated asking Katie, who was lying next to me, what sports Emily had played in her youth. Obviously you don't get that fit without some serious exercise and since I had taken notice of how much she could devour in a single sitting, I had concluded that she didn't look the way she did as a result of excellent dietary choices. But all of her annoyingly amazing physical attributes were only a small part of what made Emily so mesmerizing. She had the most perfect lips that displayed a deliciously crooked smile when she glanced in my direction and an adorable laugh that made my heart giddy. She was shy and kept quiet when the entire group was gathered but when we had been alone, she was intelligent, kind, funny and not at all timid. And as of this morning, a downright tease! Looking at her now, there was no sign of that display of sexy confidence but that didn't really mean I could stop myself from perving on her from afar. Every now and then, Cook would wink and look suggestively at Emily, at one point I swear he even nodded towards her, making me blush and panic slightly in the process. Luckily, Emily didn't seem to notice Cook's far from subtle hints but I did catch Effy giving me a peculiar look after a particularly long staring contest I had had with Emily's, ahem, bikini top.

Mum had brought out sandwiches and iced tea as she and Kieran had joined us for an afternoon in the sun. I downsized my perving and actually had a nice conversation with Emily, JJ and Kieran about the excavation. Once again, JJ impressed me with his knowledge and I honestly think he knew the entire Oxford first year textbook on Celtic heritage by heart. Emily was less knowledgeable and mostly listened to JJ and Kieran's discussion. She smiled at me warmly every once in a while but the sexual tension I had experienced this morning had disappeared. The lack of tension might have had something to do with the fact that we were discussing grave gifts and burial traits of prehistory which isn't really the sexiest topic.

The sun was losing some of its sting when Kieran had had enough.

"What do you say, JJ, you feel like helping me set up the barbecue?" JJ answered Kieran with an enthusiastic nod and followed him and Mum back to the B'n'B, leaving me and Emily behind. I instantly felt the tension seep back in and tried really hard not to get into another staring contest with her alluring bikini top.

"She's nice, your Mum", Emily said. "Kieran too, of course", she quickly added.

I snorted slightly. "That's funny, when I was younger, I always thought of my Mum as a cliché."

She laughed. "Fine, a nice cliché." She frowned somewhat before asking, "why did you think she was a cliché?"

I shrugged. "Back in Bristol, we had a large house that we bought on auction quite cheap. It was cheap because it was old and needed some, well, a lot of work." I smiled at the memory of our old house. "Anyway, Mum is really good at making new friends, as you can probably imagine, and she quickly found some blokes that were handy but in need of a place to stay. They fixed up the house in their spare time and didn't want any payment, just a roof over their heads and dinner!" I paused as Emily interrupted me.

"You lived in Bristol?"

"Yeah, until I was fourteen, why?" I regarded her curiously as I didn't really understand why that was of importance.

"It's just a little funny, seeing as we are all from Bristol; JJ, Effy, Katie and I. We even attended the same college, Roundview, although Effy was a first year so we didn't really know her before coming here." Emily shrugged. "Anyway, you were saying, about your Mum?"

I had however lost interest in explaining about Mum's hippie tendencies. "I was supposed attend Roundview but I ended up in this lovely dump instead."

Emily smiled. "Well, we didn't actually move to Bristol until Dad bought a gym there, we were thirteen at the time."

I grinned at her. "We must have just missed each other!"

I sensed the change in her demeanor before actually seeing it. She smirked and tilted her head suggestively towards me, looking me dead in the eye before softly saying, "what a shame…" _Fuck! _The confidence she was exhibiting was intoxicating and I momentarily lost myself in her. Nevertheless, I was prepared for the pull of her eyes this time and kept my wits about me, determined not to let her best me again.

**Emily's POV**

I had meant it as a silly, flirty thing to say and was probably still on a high from this morning's confidence boost of her reaction to my bikini-clad body. Otherwise, I doubt I would have had the nerve to say anything remotely flirty and I would definitely not have had the audacity to lean in and whisper in her ear again. Okay, technically, I hadn't whispered in her ear this time but that was simply because we weren't really lying that close to each other. I supposed I expected her to react the way she had before, dumbstruck and gawking at me but she surprised me instead. Her cerulean eyes turned a darker shade as her pupils dilated but after keeping my eyes locked with hers, she slowly lowered her gaze to trace the curve of my back with her eyes.

As her exploring gaze came back up to meet mine, I felt the color rise in my cheeks and silently thanked my tanned face that it wasn't showing. Naomi bit her lip and moved her head slowly towards me and whispered, "it really, _really, _is…", softly in my ear. Her lips actually touched my skin as she spoke and I shivered at the sensation. She lingered a little before moving away and when I broke from my trance, she had turned to lie on her back and had an oddly proud look on her face. _Touché…_

After lying in silence for a while, I realized that Naomi had dozed off. It had been an amazing day and I was completely over my tequila hangover but apparently Naomi wasn't feeling quite as well-rested. Either that or she was prone to afternoon naps, which didn't really fit the impression I had of her. It had taken me all morning to pluck up the courage to speak to her again and I kept wishing for the confidence from this morning to return. Once JJ joined them and started talking shop, I decided I might as well join in since I was essentially interested in what Kieran had to say. That had really taken the awkwardness I was feeling out of the situation and I had momentarily forgotten that I was insanely attracted to the gorgeous blonde sitting across from me.

Naomi let out a soft moan as she turned her head in my direction, still fast asleep. Her blonde hair was no longer secured in the braid she put it in this morning. Sandy strands of hair were flying freely across her face, some of them getting stuck between her soft lips and I had to resist the urge of reaching out to remove them. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyelids twisted every once in a while, evidence of the dream-state she was currently in. I popped up on one elbow and turned to face her. I hadn't had the chance to really look at her up close, at least not while she was basically naked. Her legs were impossibly long and slender and ended in a pair of perfect feet that were completely devoid of color. Never had I seen such pale feet. I swallowed a laugh. She had jokingly warned us about tan-lines when the weather changed for the better. Katie had been ecstatic at the idea of working on the perfect tan while being forced to do glorified ditch digging, as she so fittingly had called it, but Naomi had stressed that we were not allowed to remove the safety boots while working. Short shorts and even bikini-tops or bras were okay though, so Katie had somewhat grudgingly accepted having to wear the boots. I suppose Naomi had scared her a little by explaining that getting your foot impaled on a 2000 year-old iron rod was the safest way to get septic – better to have a pale foot than no foot at all, she had said. Her feet aside, she had avoided getting the standard 'farmer's tan' that Kieran had so obviously sported. She had been walking around in a bikini-top all throughout Friday and had gotten rid of the worst lines that had formed earlier in the week. I had spent most of the day in deep hole that Cook and the machinist had dug for me so I hadn't really seen much of Naomi, except when she came to check on me. I was actually a little bit embarrassed because right as she came to check on me, I was taking a break. She didn't seem to mind much though since she was busy slipping and sliding halfway down the side of the hole. When it happened, I was surprised that she would be so careless but when I saw the look on her face as I ran to her side, I realized that her attention had probably been elsewhere. It was the first time I was really, really confident that she might actually be as attracted to be as I was to her. Once the shock and surprise at slipping had disappeared, she had stared at me as if she had suddenly become aware of my hands on her body. When I had rushed to help her, I had steadied her with one hand on her waist and the other on her left arm. I felt a jolt of energy pass through me as she became aware of my hands and I could see it mirrored in her eyes. Her eyes had drifted to my bare stomach before she had been able to pull herself together. She had blushed and asked me something work-related as I let go of her. I had simply smirked at her and felt an unfamiliar confidence bubbling within.

I was busy imagining running my fingers along her taut stomach when I heard Gina calling from the house behind us. Naomi woke with a jolt and looked confused and vulnerable. It was adorable and I couldn't contain myself. I started laughing and when she understood that she was the cause of that laughter, she punished me with a hard punch to my shoulder and walked back towards the house. I jumped up, picking up my towel and bag in the process and ran after her, still giggling.

**The barbecue night is next! I hope it's a good one!**


	5. Chapter 5 (part 1)

**AN – The story kinda got a life of its own tonight and I have to split this chapter into two parts! I hadn't planned for most of what this first part contains but I hope you will like it anyway!**

**I still do not own Skins.. **

**Chapter 5 (part 1)**

**Naomi's POV**

After a quick shower, I hurried to the kitchen to help out Mum. The ever polite and helpful JJ was already there, sitting at the dinner table cutting up various vegetables and putting them on skewers along with small pieces of marinated chicken or beef. Mum was at the counter mixing a salad, occasionally sipping from a glass of what looked like delicious white wine. I snatched the glass teasingly from her hand and was about to take a sip when she stopped me.

"None for you, Naomi!" she said and retrieved the glass. I gaped at her in confusion. "I need you to drive to the store first", she explained as she emptied the contents of the glass in one big swig. "We seem to have run out red wine, although I could have sworn we had about five bottles yesterday." She lifted her eyebrow at me, well aware that we had used the bottles for a gigantic bowl of sangria last night.

I sighed and held out my hand in anticipation. "Fine. Keys, please?" She obliged, handed me a list and told me to use the B'n'B credit at the store.

As I was leaving, she called out, "you should bring someone with you!" and I went out in search of Cook. He was tending the barbecue and sharing a fag with a freckled-faced Effy. It was a bit surprising since they hadn't really had much to say to each other throughout the week. Well, they weren't really conversing now either, just passing the fag back and forth while Cook prodded the barbecue every once in a while. He looked up and smiled at me as I approached them. "Fancy going on a beer run?" I asked him. He shook his head and hinted at the poker in his hand.

"A bit busy at the moment, Blondie."

"I'll go", Effy offered, much to my surprise. She kept mostly to herself on the dig site, keeping busy with the sketches she had shown such aptitude for. I couldn't recall her having said more than two words to me at a time, her current statement being no exception. I nodded with a smile and we walked to the van.

The nearest supermarket of any significance was a fifteen minute drive away. The trip was beautiful though and Effy spent most of the drive admiring the scenery. I couldn't really blame her since I would have done the same, if I wasn't busy keeping my eyes on the road. There were a lot of twists and bends and the locals had the unfortunate tendency of cutting the corners and turns, resulting in some serious evasive maneuvers from time to time. Effy was obviously comfortable with the silence and since I didn't really have anything important to share with her, we arrived at the store without actually speaking a word since leaving the B'n'B. We picked up a couple of bottles of red and white wine, soft drinks and several cases of beer. I picked up a few other items for Mum and Effy used the opportunity to buy cigarettes and vodka. Thinking she had the right idea, I followed suit and bought one bottle of vodka and one bottle of rum. We still had tequila left from last night but nothing shy of being held at gunpoint could make me touch that stuff again.

Sitting in the car on the way back, I decided to try and get more than the standard two words out of Effy Stonem. "Maybe we should have asked if anyone wanted something else from the store?" I asked and was rewarded with a shrug. On to the next question then, "Emily mentioned you were from Bristol too?" She nodded. "What got you interested in the program?" Another shrug. This was getting increasingly annoying. Determined not to give up, I wondered if she might respond better to compliments as opposed to direct questions. "Your sketches really are remarkable, I hope you know that". That earned me a small smile, so I rolled with it. "The dinosaurs are going to resent you for it, though", I said and laughed at the thought.

"Dinosaurs?" she asked, her curiosity showing.

"You know, the retired people from Monday's assembly? The ones Doug swept away for a tour? The ones that have been eating cake and drinking coffee while we have been busy slaving away all week?"

"Dinosaurs? You call them dinosaurs?!" She said as she let out a burst of sincere laughter. It was infectious and I couldn't help but join in, feeling quite proud that I had succeeded in getting more than two words out of her.

**Emily's POV**

Katie and I were lounging on the benches in the barbecue area watching Cook and Kieran discuss the best way to turn over a skewer. Every once in a while, Cook winked at us, or rather at Katie and she answered with a suggestive smile or by pouting her lips and pushing her chest out slightly. I had asked her earlier if she fancied him and she simply answered that he was fit and available and that was all there was to it. Oh, and apparently, he was a fantastic shag. Regardless, Cook was keeping my sister happy and most of all occupied, giving her less time to get on my nerves or notice my indecent glances in Naomi's direction. Although currently, Naomi was nowhere to be seen as Gina had sent her on an errand a while back, taking Effy along for the ride. It was almost dark when they returned, carrying several bags of wine and alcohol. At Naomi's instruction, JJ went to the van to get the last two cases of beer, both of which he impressively carried to the kitchen in one trip. All three of them emerged from the house carrying an assortment of beverages and we proceeded with happily and eagerly digging into the buffet of grilled delicacies.

Kieran and Gina shared two bottles of red wine during the evening and called it a night around midnight looking suspiciously like they weren't going to bed just yet. Naomi mocked disgust as Kieran grabbed Gina's backside when they walked back into the house. The barbecue area of the B'n'B had one large table with benches around it but there was also an area with a few comfortable lawn chairs placed around a hearth. When Kieran and Gina left us, Cook quickly built a small bonfire and we moved to the chairs. I sat next to Naomi with Effy on my other side and Cook was sitting across from Naomi with Katie snuggled up in his lap. JJ had received yet another phone call from his Mum and had gone down to the beach to talk to her. The atmosphere was cozy and even though we were all buzzed from the alcohol, we all knew we weren't going to get hammered tonight. Nevertheless, my beer was empty and I got up to get more, taking drink orders from the rest of the gang on the way. I came back carrying five beers and a bottle of white wine for Effy along with some blankets. JJ had returned and had taken my seat between Effy and Naomi and after handing everyone their drinks and a blanket, I sat down in the sand between JJ and Naomi.

"This feels like the proper time to warn you of Ol' Man Guthry", Cook started, changing both his tone of voice and his demeanor drastically. I could tell we were in for one hell of a scary story as Cook adjusted the way Katie was reclining in his lap to make sure he had our undivided attention. I took a large sip of my beer, settled in and rested my head against the armrest of Naomi's chair in order to get a better look at Cook.

"He was one of the local dinosaurs that volunteered during my first year", Cook paused because Effy giggled oddly at the word dinosaur. "He was a funny old man but always cheerful and ready with a cheeky comment, reminded me of, well me except, you know, old!" We all smiled and he continued, "one day we were working against the clock because a storm was coming in. It was pouring cats and dogs and we had just uncovered a huge grave field that would be ruined by the storm if left unprotected. So Guthry and I started…" I lost track of Cook's story when I felt soft fingers gently brush along the back of my neck. I tensed slightly as the sensation spread throughout me like a whirlwind and resulted in a tingly feeling in my toes. Naomi either didn't notice or didn't care about my tensing up at her caress and I closed my eyes as her soft fingers started to explore my bare shoulders. My eyes flew open as Naomi stopped her caress when Katie let out a small scream as Cook made her jolt at a particular scary part of the story. Her warm hand was still resting on my back though and I leaned even further towards her chair, pressing slightly against her hand, inviting her to continue. In truth, there was nothing sensual about her caress and had it been anyone else, I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought. It was a seemingly friendly gesture and she could have been doing the exact same thing to anyone sitting next to her, resting their head against her chair. Whether or not her actions were merely friendly was irrelevant to me; it felt incredible and I didn't want it to stop. Katie slapped Cook across the chest for making her jump out of her seat before settling back down into his lap as he continued his story. Everyone seemed captivated by it and I almost regretted not having paid more attention. Almost. Naomi was covered by a blanket that she had pulled up all the way to her chin. Her left hand, the one that was currently setting my body on fire, was sticking out from under the blanket through the hole between the armrest and the seat of her chair. Her gaze hadn't left Cook once and she seemed just as enthralled by the story as Katie, Effy and JJ were. Her fingers started tracing delicate circles along my shoulders and neckline and I had to bite down hard on my lip in order to keep a moan from escaping me. I saw the slightest hint of a smile cross Naomi's lips and was starting to revisit the idea that perhaps she wouldn't have done the same to JJ, Katie, Effy or even Cook if they had been sitting here instead of me. Naomi suddenly shifted slightly in her chair and I felt her hand drift down towards the small of my back and lingering a little, feeling the goose bumps her touch had caused. I was in heaven.

A loud, collective gasp and a slight scream from Katie marked the ending of Cook's story and he was smiling proudly. Naomi removed her divine hand from my back and pulled the blanket further up around her. I hadn't noticed how cold it had gotten, probably due to the heat that had been coursing through my body for the past half hour. I shivered slightly and contemplated going inside to get a sweater from my room. Gazing up at a smiling Naomi, I decided against the sweater. The bonfire was dying but there was still a little warmth coming from the ember so I held my hands out to steal some of the heat.

"I'll go next", Effy said and everyone turned their heads, gaping at her in surprise. She took a large swig of her white wine and shot us all a sad smile. "Once there was a girl plagued by terrible demons who fell in love with a wonderful boy called Freddie", she started. "He was tall, dark and handsome, you know, the sort of boy most girls can only dream of. He was kind and sweet and had the most beautiful heart."

Naomi's hand hadn't returned to my back and I was really starting to shiver at the cold. _I really should have gotten that sweater._ I glanced up at Naomi but she seemed intent on listening to Effy's story without any distractions so I simple leaned against her chair and gave Effy my full attention.

**Naomi's POV**

"At first, the girl didn't want to trust him. She did everything she could to push him away but he kept coming back and he kept showing up to rescue her." Effy said, shaking her head sadly.

"What did she need rescuing from?" JJ interrupted.

"Demons", Effy replied. "Terrible demons tearing away at her soul. She did the best she could at keeping them at bay but the demons were far too powerful." So far this wasn't a very scary story but Effy was a surprisingly compelling storyteller and I couldn't help but listen intently despite having the distraction that was Emily Fitch, leaning against my leg.

"One day, the demons were screaming at her to give in but Freddie showed up, sword in hand and fought them off. The girl realized that this, love, was the most powerful weapon she could ever wield." Effy smiled as her blue eyes stared into the ashes of the bonfire. "For a while, love was able to keep the demons from tearing her apart and she was happy. Well, as happy as someone as broken as her could possibly be." Her tone hardened when she spoke of the girl and was softer at the mention of Freddie. "But it didn't last long. One day, Freddie left the girl alone for too long. He found her bleeding in the bathroom; her demons had opened both of her wrists with scissors." A collective gasp went out and Effy paused long enough for me to notice Emily shivering. I wasn't sure if it was because of the story or the cold so I reached down and put my hand gently on her shoulder, figuring it would be comforting either way. Her shoulder was as cold as ice.

JJ used the pause to run inside to replenish our beer supply and I made a snap decision. I squeezed Emily's shoulder lightly and she turned to look at me. As she did, I lifted the blanket from my lap and gestured that she sit down. I saw several different emotions mirrored in her eyes before she hesitantly got to her feet and then settled sideways in my lap. I wrapped the blanket around the both of us and as Effy continued with her story, Emily snuggled down a bit and rested her head against my shoulder. _She really is a tiny person._ She was very, very cold, which wasn't really much of a surprise since she was still only wearing a bikini top and shorts. The rest of us had cuddled up under blankets for the past hour while she had been sitting in what was essentially underwear.

"Freddie fought for her life, slaying many demons in his path. But he realized that she needed more than he could give and left her with people who made a living out of chasing away demons." Effy took another sip of wine. "One day he came to visit the girl, hoping that some of her demons had gone away for good so they could ride off into the sunset together. But once he saw her, he knew something was very, very wrong. She couldn't remember him and she seemed to almost fear him." I glanced over towards Katie and Cook and saw him place a protective arm around the brunette who was in obvious discomfort at Effy's story. Although personally, I found Effy's face and voice a lot more scary than the actual story.

"Freddie went crazy and kidnapped the girl, not accepting that the demons had finally won. He brought her to a safe place and sat with her, night and day, waiting for her to remember and ready to fight off her demons, one by one." I noticed Effy swallow hard before continuing, "Finally, she started to remember and cried as she recognized Freddie's worried eyes watching her. She reached out to him but at that moment, a terrifying demon appeared." Effy raised her voice, emphasizing the appearance of the demon. "The girl saw Freddie fighting for his and her life but he was failing. The demon was too strong and Freddie was dying. With his final breath, Freddie told the girl to run. Run as far and as fast as you can. The girl refused but as she saw Freddie's warm eyes turn red and his body go slack, she ran. She ran but the demon followed. She ran until her legs buckled and her feet bled. She ran to the end of the world to get away but it was no use, as soon as she stopped, the demon would show its ugly face. So she keeps running, keeps fighting, the memory of Freddie's sweet voice and beautiful heart forever spurring her on."


	6. Chapter 5 (part 2)

**A/N – to LA Woman who reviewed the story four times; I got each and every one and they made my day, or night, as it were and they have now appeared as reviews **** Anyway, there's some more "blankie-time" coming up now, hope you enjoy it… It's shorter than usual because I decided to split the chapter in two.  
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**I wish I owned Skins…**

**Chapter 5 (part 2)**

**Naomi's POV**

We were all staring at her, eyes as big as saucers, desperately trying to get our heads around her story. She had sounded so angry, not at the demons but at the girl and a soft smile had crossed her lips every time she spoke Freddie's name. It is one thing to be a compelling storyteller and it is quite another to relive a story while telling it. Effy had most definitely done the latter. As to which part of the story was true, I was unsure of but I was confident that at least some of it was. Not the parts about demons though, although I suppose we all have our demons to slay in one way or another. Effy had regained her enigmatic expression and was looking intently around at us. Katie was the first to snap out of her Effy Stonem-storytelling-trance and she got to her feet and quickly closed the distance between herself and Effy. "What?", Effy asked as Katie approached her. She simply shook her head and dragged Effy to her feet before pulling her into an embrace.

When I finally pulled myself together, I became acutely aware of the fact that Emily was sitting or rather lying in my lap. Her head was still resting on my shoulder and her breathing was oddly irregular. I peeked down at her without moving my head and saw tears streaming down her beautiful face. She must have understood, like Katie had seemed to, that the pain Effy had described was somehow real. I moved my hand up to Emily's cheek and wiped a single, perfect tear away. She responded with a melancholic smile and pulled the blanket up around herself as she nestled against me.

Katie still had Effy locked in a tight embrace despite Effy's attempts at being released. Cook eventually broke the tension by joining them in their embrace, telling them how his bleeding heart could only be mended by a loving threesome. We all laughed and Effy shot Cook a thankful look as he dragged Katie back to his chair.

"So", Effy said as she returned to her chair and lit a fag, "who's next?", she said while casually exhaling a cloud of grey smoke.

JJ cleared his throat, "well I'm not really sure this qualifies as a scary story but I'll give it a go, if you don't mind?"

"Good man, JJ!", Cook exclaimed and nodded encouragingly. I turned my head and looked expectantly at JJ before realizing that the earth had stopped turning. JJ's voice faded out as I felt Emily's fingers drifting slowly down my left arm. Her touch was soft and her fingers were still a little cold, resulting in her touch resonating on my warm skin. When she reached the inside of my wrist, she lingered, tracing soft patterns across the sensitive skin before allowing the same soft touch to work its way back up.

As her hand started to outline the curvature of my collarbone, she shifted position slightly and her mouth came dangerously close to my neck. As I felt her warm breath against my skin and her lips on occasion brushing teasingly against my skin, I simply gave in to temptation. I tilted my head back, allowing her to caress the full length of my neckline with her breath, hands and lips. She ran her fingers across along the indentation at the bottom of my throat before starting back towards my left arm. Instead of copying her earlier caress down the length of my arm, which by the way sent shivers to my very core, she started running her fingers slowly down my the side of my top. I gasped as her fingertips lingered at the naked skin on my hip just above the rim of my shorts.

I desperately wanted to return her caress but was scared that the fire currently coursing through my veins would burn out if I moved. My heart was pounding in my chest and it was getting hard keeping my breathing under control. Her hand worked its way up the front of my stomach, the thrill of her touch never diminishing despite no longer being in direct contact with bare skin. It got even more difficult to breathe as she neared a particularly sensitive part of my chest area. Emily's fingertips moved along the rim of my top, tracing the frame of my bra hidden underneath it. I inhaled sharply at the sensation and felt my face warm as my heartbeat skyrocketed. _Jesus! _Thankfully, the bonfire had completely died out, emitting only a slight glow, leaving us under the cover of darkness. I glanced towards JJ and could hardly make out his silhouette and was completely unable to make out either Effy or Cook and Katie. The only reason I knew they were still sitting across from us was the giggles Katie let out every now and then.

Feeling confident that we were hidden from sight, I relaxed and shifted, effectively sliding down to a more reclined position in the chair. Emily immediately responded, turning towards me, essentially pressing her body against mine. Her hand was still positioned on the bare skin of my chest as she leaned in and gently grazed her lips along my neckline, starting at my ear and taking her time as she moved downward. Her left hand had been pressed against me while she was sitting in my lap but as she was now practically lying on top of me, it was free to roam my body. Reaching the base of my neck, Emily placed a warm, slightly harder kiss on my pulse point and swiftly moved her left hand to my waist, further pressing against my body in the process. I bit down hard on my lower lip to keep from letting out a whimper as the energy generated from Emily's kiss shot through me, halting at my stomach and making it flutter in the process. I felt my cheeks flush and my breath hitch as the flutter spread further downward, culminating in a familiar and delicious sensation between my thighs. Emily continued attacking my neck and collarbone with kisses, each one increasing in intensity as she parted her lips ever so slightly. Her hand had slipped underneath my top at the small of my back and she was running soft fingers up and down my spine, effectively leaving me utterly breathless. As her lips reached the end of their journey, she grabbed the back of my neck with her free hand and placed a hard, openmouthed kiss at the base of my collarbone. Feeling her soft, warm tongue against my skin finally made me lose my composure and I reached for her.

**Emily's POV**

It was by far the single, most intimate thing I had ever experienced. Drunken shags, well any shag really, was nothing compared to what was currently unfolding. Naomi was dematerializing under my touch and it was both insanely exciting and incredibly arousing. Somehow making her gasp and feeling her tense up simply by brushing my fingers along her collarbone was more sensual than anything I had experienced in my life. I felt powerful and the more I sensed her respond to my touch, the bolder I got. I eagerly welcomed the chance to explore her body even if I really had no idea what I was doing. Not that I would consider myself sexually inexperienced but I had never had a boyfriend and never felt particularly motivated to explore the bodies of my previous sexual partners. Had I known it would be such an unbelievable rush, I might have felt otherwise inclined. My hand was leaving a trail of delicious goose bumps along her back and I couldn't help but smile as her breathing faltered slightly. _I must be doing something right… _Subconsciously, my body responded to the intense sensation as my hips started to grind into her as I placed eager kisses on her neck. I grabbed hold of her as I reached my destination at the indentation at the bottom of her throat before allowing myself to finally taste her.

Naomi suddenly gasped and I felt her hands grab my hips and pull me up towards her. I was almost straddling her in the chair and her hands moved to the back of my thighs as I towered above her, our faces mere inches from touching. We had been this close before, on the beach last night but we had been off our faces and alcohol can play terrible tricks on the mind. Tonight however, despite having a lot to drink, neither of us were drunk. Everything that was happening was happening because we both wanted it to and every response her body had to my touch wasn't enhanced due to intoxication. She had started it by caressing my back during Cook's story and letting me sit in her lap but now I was determined to finish it. Never in my life had I wanted anything as badly as I wanted to feel Naomi's lips against mine.

Her eyes seemed to seize every single beam of light emanating from the moon, making them clearly visible against the darkness. They were darker than ever before, pupils completely dilated and mirroring my desires as her hands gripped at my thighs. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her and the immense tension between us was screaming loudly for a release. Still, as I lay there, on top of her, inches from her perfect lips, I was unable to move. Whether I was scared of being rejected or dumbstruck from being moments away from turning fantasy into reality, I will never know. Either way, I felt my confidence start seep away and Naomi must have sensed it. Without breaking eye contact, she placed a hand gently on my cheek, lifted her head from the chair and softly pressed her lips against mine. My eyes flew shut at the contact and the air vanished from my chest making me lightheaded and electricity surged through me, making every strand of hair on my body rise. Her lips were warm and soft and lingered for a few seconds before pulling away. When I opened my eyes, she was regarding me hesitantly with a surprised, slightly shocked look on her face. Before I had the chance to stop and think, I crashed our lips together with as much force as I could muster without actually bruising them.

"What the FUCK are you doing to my sister, you fucking pervert!"

**Katie Fucking Fitch! **

**So! I have been feeling quite giddy these past few days since posting the first chapter. I really hope that you are enjoying reading it because I sure am writing it! I still appreciate any and all feedback you are willing to give (good, bad, indifferent – anything), so send me a review or PM if you feel like it! **


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N – I wasn't planning on writing another chapter tonight and I am getting seriously sleep-deprived. Friday morning I am leaving for a six day conference and will probably not have time to write at all so I thought it was best to get this chapter out before committing to radio-silence for a week or so. I hope you enjoy it and please keep sending reviews and comments my way! They are a great inspiration and motivation!**

**Not the owner of Skins…**

**Chapter 6**

**Cook's POV**

I came running out of the house at the sound of loud, angry voices. I had recognized Naomi's and she had sounded scared. It was dark and I couldn't tell what was going on until I was standing right in the middle of it. I had only been gone for a minute to take a piss and was more than a little confused at the scene that met me upon my return.

"Katie, don't!", Emily begged as she tried to drag Katie off of someone sitting in one of the lawn chairs. A split second later, I realized it was Naomi's chair and immediately took hold of Katie and lifted her away, effectively restraining her furious punches. JJ and Effy had been watching the scene, obviously too shocked to react and it took a moment before Effy snapped out of it and rushed to Naomi's side.

"Cook fucking put me down right now!", Katie screamed at me but I wasn't about to let her go off on my friend again so I ignored her. JJ knelt down at Naomi's side and helped her stand up.

"Is she alright, mate?", I asked him while trying to keep tabs on the wrestling Katie Fitch in my arms. He studied Naomi's face intently, touching her lips and making her wince.

"Her lip is bleeding pretty badly but it's not too deep, I reckon", he answered without taking his eyes off Naomi's hurt face. Effy had turned on the light on her phone and I could see Blondie's face myself now. She was bleeding, in shock and trying really hard not to cry and I knew she needed to get away from the scene. I couldn't take care of her myself since Katie was still cursing at me and fidgeting angrily in my arms so I asked JJ and Effy to take her inside and get her cleaned up. When they had cleared, I finally put Katie down, taking note to stand between her and the house in case she decided to rush after Naomi to continue the beat down. As it turns out, I should have been standing between her and her twin instead.

Emily was pacing back and forth with her hands on her head. All I could really see now that Effy had taken our only source of light with her was the red hair and the silhouette of her arms on top of it. Katie however had no such problems and walked straight up to where Emily was pacing. I gathered it was a twin-thing and since I couldn't make out either of them anymore. I figured it was best to stay of a sibling brawl but I was a little curious about what had happened. I had my guesses and I was going ask Naomi about it anyway so it wasn't really all that important for me to listen in on their conversation. I took out a fag from my chest pocket and lit it.

"What the fuck, Emily?" Katie hissed. Emily either didn't reply fast enough or said something I couldn't hear. What I did hear though, was the unmistakable sound of a hard slap across the face, Emily's probably. "I asked you a fucking question!"

"I… I… I didn't…", Emily stuttered, obviously too shocked to form a complete sentence. I felt bad for her but not enough to get in Katie's way again.

"What, are a you mong now as well as a lezzer?", Katie mocked. She was being downright mean and it was starting to get on my nerves. My guess had been right and something had happened between Emily and Naomi but nothing really justified this type of abuse. I felt kinda glad that I didn't have a twin.

"Is that why you were so eager to come here without me? So you could shag any _bitch_ willing?" She emphasized the word bitch and I assumed it wasn't the first time she had used that specific word to describe Blondie to her sister. I took a couple of steps closer. Emily held her hand up to her cheek and simply shook her head. Katie continued her rant, "well it's not gonna happen, 'cause I won't let it!" She took another step towards Emily, and spitefully said, "You're not gay, just stupid!"

At that last comment, Emily turned and ran off in the direction of the beach. Katie ignored it and walked towards the house, still fuming. Noticing I wasn't following her back inside, she turned to face me. "Coming?", she asked and looked at me expectantly.

I hesitated for a second, contemplating whether Katie beating the shit out of Naomi and being a downright bitch to her sister was enough to make me refuse an awesome shag. The memory of Naomi's split lip made the choice pretty easy, really. I flicked my fag away, exhaled and started walking towards the beach.

"Whatever." Katie simply said, obviously not really caring about me or her sister as she walked inside.

I found Emily at the same spot we had all been lounging about in earlier during the day. She was sitting on her knees with her legs tucked in under her, her head buried in her hands. I sat down in the sand next to her, remaining silent. She was sobbing violently but had noticed my presence and was trying to get it under control. I took out another fag, lit it and offered it to her.

She dried her face with the back of her hand and looked at me. "I don't smoke…"

"Shame", I said, "'cause you look like you could use one." I inhaled deeply and offered it to her again. This time she took it from my fingers and stared at it for a while before putting it to her lips and inhaling. She didn't do it properly and started to cough. "You didn't do it right." I smiled at her. "Just breathe normally except through this." I pointed to the fag in her hand. "It's easy!" I lit up a different fag and proceeded to show Emily how to become a smoker. By the second fag she had gotten the hang of it and I had even gotten a few small laughs out of her in the process. I noticed her shivering so I took off my sweater and draped it around her bare shoulders.

"Thanks", she said and glanced at me sideways. "You're a lot nicer than most people think, aren't you Cook?"

I smiled. "Fuck you."

"Fuck you right back." She bumped her shoulder into mine and smiled.

I walked Emily back to the house and she gave me a peck on the cheek as she handed the sweater back to me. We hadn't actually spoken a word about what happened but I was never much for heart-to-hearts and thanked my lucky stars that Emily wasn't either. There's nothing that sharing a fag and few laughs can't fix. I reached my shed, opened the door and found Naomi sitting inside on my bed.

"Bloody hell babe, how many times did you let her pound on you?" She looked like shit, honestly.

"Probably about as many times as you were pounding on her just now.", she answered spitefully. "Hope it was a fucking fantastic shag, Cook."

"Naomikins, what in the bloody hell are you talking about?" It wasn't like her to be so dramatic. The great thing about Naomi was that she was literally like on the boys, not too big on all the mushy stuff and she could hold her own in terms of crude banter. She was acting out of character and it made me uncomfortable.

"You shagged her, didn't you? She fucking beat me up and still you went and fucked her." Naomi was definitely not in her right mind and I saw tears forming in her blue eyes. I sat down next to her on the bed and sighed. _I fucking hate this mushy shit._

I shook my head. "I didn't." She didn't believe me, I could tell.

"Then where have you been the past hour?", she asked with a sniffle and traced the cut on her lip with a finger. JJ and Effy had done a good job cleaning her up. The cut was barely visible but her lip was twice its normal size and there was a red and slightly blue bruise forming across her swollen cheekbone. Katie had done some impressive damage in a short amount of time. If it had been anyone but Naomi on the receiving end, I would probably have ended up liking Katie even more after witnessing her impressive bar-room-brawl skills.

"Does it matter?" She shot me a determined look and I shook my head in resignation. "Fine. I was with Emily."

"What?!" she jumped off the bed and looked at me in absolute horror. I glared at her in confusion before realizing my mistake and was actually offended that she could think I would take advantage of the situation like that.

"Naomi, calm the fuck down now, yeah?" This whole drama was starting to give me a headache. "I taught her how to smoke fags and we had a laugh, alright?" She seemed to compose herself as I watched her close her eyes and shake her head once, as if to get rid of the image that was me and Emily on the beach doing nasty things to one another. Personally, I quite enjoyed having that image stuck in my mind.

**Naomi's POV**

I felt bad for accusing Cook of sleeping with Emily, or Katie for that matter. My feelings were hurt, well my feelings and my face as it were, and I wasn't thinking clearly. I took my seat next to him on the bed and buried my head in my hands, groaning loudly in the process.

"Couldn't keep it in your pants, eh Blondie?", Cook said and stuck his tongue out at me. I didn't even bother replying since I was guessing he knew he had hit the mark. I was curious about something else though.

"Did she say anything? Emily, I mean."

Cook shook his head as he got up and walked to the mini-fridge Mum had bought for him last year. He took out two beers and offered me one as he sat back down. "We had a smoke and a laugh.", he said with a shrug and I decided not to push the matter. Knowing Cook, he had already reached his limit of drama for one evening and there was little point in discussing it now anyway.

We sat there in quiet reflection, sharing a few beers and fags before heading back. The house was completely dark as I approached and I was happy to realize that everyone had gone to bed. It meant I didn't have to deal with the twins until tomorrow which was still too soon. I got a little lost in thought as I walked the stony path from Cook's shed to the main building.

Everything had changed so quickly. One moment I was enjoying the delicious lips of Emily Fitch and the next, I was being pounded by the less affectionate fists of Katie fucking Fitch. But the bruises on my face would heal soon enough, that wasn't what had bothered me. As Katie had dragged Emily off me and subsequently began pounding on me, Emily had of course tried to stop her but had failed miserably. Katie had gotten at least five good punches in before Cook came running and pulled her off me. What bothered me was that after Cook had stopped the beating, Emily hadn't done anything. She just stood there, dumbstruck and staring at me.

JJ and Effy had been the ones to rush to my side and subsequently taken care of me, not her. The three of us sat in uncomfortable silence in the kitchen for a while before Effy and JJ turned in and I went to look for Cook at the shed. All I really needed though was Emily. But she was nowhere to be found and I had gotten angry. I knew that a few days of flirting obviously couldn't compete with eighteen years of sharing a room with your twin sister but she could have at least checked to see if I was seriously hurt. It really bugged me to see Emily so weak. Sure, she was more quiet than usual when Katie was around and yes, obviously Katie was used to getting her way and Emily was used to giving in. But the Emily I had gotten to know over the course of the week was much, much stronger than she let on. In the end it all came down to my feelings getting hurt because Emily didn't stand up for me but even more so that she didn't stand up for herself.

When I reached the stairwell, I took off my shoes and tippy-toed silently up the stairs to my room. I entered, closed the door behind and flipped the light switch. I turned around and stared into the watery eyes of one Emily Fitch.

**So! Naomi got a beat down, Emily and Cook had a moment and Katie Fucking Fitch made an appearance! I wonder what Emily has to say for herself (honestly, right now I'm not sure what she's gonna say since I haven't written it yet…) Sound off in a review or PM – it will be valued for all eternity!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N – I must admit I had a really, really hard time writing this. After writing the first two chapters of 'Solving the Cancer Enigma' and being at a conference basically devoted to cancer research, it was hard to get back into this story. I knew where I wanted it to go but wasn't sure how to get there… So please be patient with me and keep giving me feedback! **

**Not the owner of Skins…**

**Chapter 7**

**Naomi's POV**

Startled, my shoes dropped from my hand at the sight of Emily sitting on my bed. Most of her mascara was smudged on her cheeks and some had formed little black marks on her hands. She hadn't changed her clothes yet, meaning she was sitting on my bed in shorts and bikini top. Her hands had been folded in her lap but had now started fidgeting and she broke our staring contest by turning her gaze down to her hands. As if noticing it for the first time, she started rubbing some of the dried up mascara from the back of her right hand. I remained standing, leaned against the door and waited for her to speak because I sure as hell wasn't going to be the one doing the talking. After a couple of minutes of silence, Emily occasionally wiping away a few mascara-stained tears from her face, she finally spoke.

"I… I wanted to see if you were alright.", she said, still staring down at her fidgeting hands. I snorted.

"Do I look alright to you?", I asked with a sneer. Emily still wasn't looking at me, so technically, she probably hadn't seen the cut on my swollen lip or the throbbing bruise across my cheek. She winced at the tone of my voice and I felt a little guilty. After all, she wasn't the one throwing the physical punches but the hurt Emily had caused me was worse than the marks on my face. I quickly let go of the guilt, set my jaw and fell silent again. It took Emily a minute or two to collect herself but she finally raised her head and regarded me through wet eyes. Her gaze drifted from the cut on my lip to the red mark on my cheekbone before her body started to shake as she let out small sobs.

"I'm so, so sorry…", she managed to get out between sobs. My heart was literally burning a hole in my chest at the sight of Emily crying. It took a lot of strength for me to not simply run to her side and cradle her in my arms. Holding on to my anger was the only thing keeping me nailed to the floor.

"What the fuck is her problem?", I asked, crossing my arms in a defensive stance. "Anger-management issues or something?" I cringed a little myself at the bile in my voice. "And what exactly are you apologizing for anyway?", I asked, sneering. "That your sister beat me or that you allowed her to?"

"I… You don't understand", Emily started, "she's just looking out for me…". I interrupted her before she could explain further.

"By jumping me and, from what I can tell, giving you a good slap-around as well?" I pointed at her cheek, shook my head disapprovingly and raised my voice, "you call that looking out for you?"

Horrified, Emily moved a protective hand up to her reddened, slightly bruised cheek. She looked even more vulnerable than she had before and I felt my composure faltering again. She was beautiful even when devastated, makeup smeared all over her face, eyes red from shedding tears for hours on end. I was hurt, sure, but seeing her like this broke my heart. I was insanely attracted to the sexy and confident Emily but I also cared deeply for the shy, intelligent, sensitive Emily. I was about to surrender to my bleeding heart when Emily sniffled and dried some remaining tears from her cheeks, having taken control of the sobbing. She sighed deeply and suddenly rose from the bed with determination, facing me.

"She's my sister."

"She's a bitch."

She sighed and closed her eyes briefly before setting her jaw. "She's still my sister. I came to see if you were alright and to apologize. I'm truly, _truly_ sorry about what happened and I can assure you, it won't happen again." She gave me a somewhat defiant stare and I was shocked at her sudden change in demeanor. Gone was the sobbing mess and before me stood the, once again, confident Emily Fitch. This time it felt less sexy though and more like a challenge. I wasn't sure if she was actually apologizing for Katie's punches, her own cowardice or driving me to the brink of insanity with her teasing touch earlier. All I knew was that this schizophrenic behavior was genuinely pissing me off.

**Emily's POV**

I had gone to Naomi's room on a whim. After saying goodnight to Cook, I had started towards my own room but somehow my feet had led me here instead. I stood outside for the longest time before plucking up the courage to knock on the door. I knocked several times, each time a little louder but there was no answer. Going to sleep without apologizing was out of the question and I took a chance and cracked the door open, peeking inside. It was dark but there was no visible silhouette on the bed so I went inside and closed the door behind me. I sat there, on her bed in the dark, bawling until I thought I was going to pass out from dehydration. I had developed a bad headache from a mixture of dehydration, alcohol consumption and the intense emotional stress this evening had produced. I had been the happiest I think I have ever been tonight, only to be humiliated, slapped and verbally assaulted, all thanks to my dear twin sister. Well not the part about the happiest I have ever been, that part had Naomi written all over it.

Now I was standing in her room, looking like a hot mess, not really knowing why I was there. She was clearly not going to accept my apology and she was very angry, not that I could blame her. I hated seeing her beautiful eyes regard me with such aversion but I had brought this on myself. There was no need to prolong the suffering and I accepted defeat. I said what I came to say and not having really prepared a speech, I could think of nothing to excuse Katie's behavior, at least not anything I was willing to share. Naomi deserved better and I damn well knew I didn't deserve Naomi. I sighed and motioned toward the door, which Naomi was leaning against, effectively blocking it.

She regarded me suspiciously and perhaps a little surprised. "What, that's it? Your sister beats me up, you stand by watching and you come here and say you're sorry and everything is supposed to be alright?"

"You don't understand", I started, shaking my head, "She's my sister, I owe her…"

"You _owe_ her?", Naomi asked in disbelief at what she was hearing, her voice building once again. "What could you possibly owe her to justify this? For hitting you? For beating me? For being a total, utter nightmare to the both of us?" She looked aghast and shook her head, "I thought you were better, Emily, thought you were stronger than this." She sighed exasperated, "you can't let people walk all over you. I don't care if you don't come to my rescue but you should at least stand up for yourself."

I didn't know what to say but I felt tears forming and needed to leave before they came rushing out. As if on cue, Naomi sighed and capitulated, before turning around and opening the door. She ushered me out without a word and slammed it shut behind me. I ran down the stairs and towards my own room as quickly as I possibly could, tears once again streaming down my face, dragging the rest of my mascara with it in the process. I was crying because I knew Naomi was right and because Katie had once again asserted her dominance over me through humiliation. I cried for Naomi's bruises and for the pain I had caused her but more than anything, I cried because the thought of Naomi's cerulean eyes regarding me with such contempt was burning a hole through my gut.

**Naomi's POV**

Okay, so slamming the door was perhaps a bit of an overreaction but I was angry. I felt proud for holding my ground and letting her know that whatever power Katie might have over her, it didn't transfer to. Why Emily let Katie treat her like a doormat was a mystery to me and it wasn't a very attractive quality to be honest. Regardless of kinship, nothing justified disrespecting and hurting people the way Katie had done. I was appalled at the realization that she had also hit Emily. _Her own sister, for what, kissing a girl?_

Why had Katie reacted so violently? I couldn't help but think there might be more to the story than simply her being a huge bitch and homophobe. Honestly, had she never kissed a girl herself, even if only during a drunken stupor? All we were doing was sharing a seemingly innocent kiss and yet Katie had thrown herself at me, fists pumping in a blur. There was no way Katie could have known that Emily's hands had been making me lose my mind in built up sexual frustration just seconds earlier. So why _had _she reacted that strongly? I sighed and threw myself dramatically onto my bed and buried my face in the pillow, screaming into it, allowing it to damper the sound.

I kept seeing Emily's tear-streaked face, those wonderfully dark eyes ripped with shame and pain. She really had been sorry, I knew that but I felt like she was a different person now, a weaker one. One side of Emily was shy, timid and always conceding to her sister but the other, the one she had revealed to me, was strong, confident and, above all, sexy. Really_, really _sexy. Even now, she had found the strength to stand and challenge me when I referred to her sister as a bitch. I realized that the root of my disappointment was that I expected her to stand up to Katie just because I was involved. This, of course was complete illogical. Why on earth would I expect Emily to take the side of someone she had known for less than a week? Denounce her _twin sister_ for fuck's sake?

I let out another scream into the pillow, pressing it hard against my face. Under normal circumstances, I would have told the both of them to go stick it somewhere. Emily had hurt me, Katie had hurt me, and it should be simple really – fuck 'em. _So why can't I let this go?_ I knew the answer to that though, as the image of Emily's sorrow filled eyes haunted me. Despite a substantial amount of time having passed and the recent bruises to my face, my body still remembered Emily's intense, all-consuming touch.

I turned around and stared at the ceiling, running a finger along the cut on my lip. It didn't really hurt anymore and the bruise on my cheekbone had stopped throbbing. It was still warm and sore though; I noticed as I reached out and pressed the cheek lightly, flinching at the sudden pain. I got up, went to the bathroom and started brushing my teeth while continuing to contemplate why I couldn't let this go. I finished brushing, took two steps toward the bed and hesitated for a fleeting moment before opening my bedroom door and slipping silently down the stairs.

**Emily' POV**

I was standing next to the bed, staring into the open space above it. When I had returned to my room, I had changed out of the bikini and put on the oversized t-shirt I use as pajamas. I was planning on going to sleep but had only gotten as far as standing next to the bed. Somehow, it felt like it would take a colossal effort to actually lift the duvet and crawl in. I was empty, completely void of emotion and even the small task of getting into bed felt like climbing a mountain. It had taken me quite a while to understand why this was so hard, why I felt like lying down and never waking up again. For the first time in my life, I was absolutely, undeniably heartbroken. After one evening under the cover of a blanket, after two innocent kisses, I was heartbroken because I knew Naomi was lost to me. There were to be no more kisses, my body would never again be set on fire at her soft touch, and the story of would could have been had crashed and burned. I closed my eyes and tried to gather the strength to reach out and lift the comforter. I suddenly heard the door chirr and my eyes flew open.

The room was dark and if the door hadn't creaked, I would never have known it had been opened.

"Emily?" I held my breath at the sweet sound of Naomi's worried whisper. Was she really here or was I delusional from tear-induced dehydration and broken-heart syndrome? She had used quite a different tone of voice during our last conversation. I could almost make out a shadow against the white door as she closed it behind her. The shadow closed the distance between us and I realized the moonlight coming through my window would have revealed my presence. My empty gaze lifted and was met by Naomi's wonderful eyes that once again were stealing all of the light emanating from the moon.

She was standing mere inches from me, regarding me with a concerned expression. Her blonde hair was glistening and the cut on her lip was more evident in the moonlight. In my confused, dazed state I couldn't restrain myself. I raised a hand and my fingers found her lip, tracing it from one side to the other, slightly brushing against the cut. She tensed under my touch but I couldn't be bothered to take notice. I stood on my toes and leaned in to replace my fingers with my lips, placing a gentle kiss on the cut on her lower lip. It wasn't a sensual kiss and I wasn't trying to _kiss _her, I just needed to make it better, needed her to understand how sorry I was.

I withdrew and looked up at her again. The concerned expression in her beautiful face was still there and I think she was about to speak when I placed my hand on her swollen cheekbone. I felt the warmth radiating from it and finally felt an emotion stir within; anger. Katie had done this and I had let her. I had stood by like a fool, watching and I had let Naomi down. _I don't deserve her. _Desolate, I quickly let my hand drop from her face and started to turn away, once again feeling tears that I hadn't realized had formed, streaming down my cheeks.

Naomi's soft hand grabbed my arm turned me back to face her as she pulled me into her arms. I almost collapsed, feeling my knees buckle but Naomi held me onto me and kept me standing as I continued to cry on her shoulder. She placed small, comforting kisses on my neck and cheek and finally my forehead, while brushing away wet hair from my face. She started walking me backwards, still locked in her embrace until I felt my legs bump against the bed. She gently pushed me down, placing one hand behind my head as it touched down on the pillow while being careful to not break the embrace. I had stopped crying but exhaustion had left me paralyzed and I didn't respond at all to the fact that Naomi was, for a split second, lying on top of me, on my bed. She moved to lie beside me, her whole body pressing against mine as my head rested on her shoulder. Her arms were wrapped protectively around me as I passed out from emotional and physical exhaustion.

**So I got where I wanted to get to and the next chapter is locked in my head, just need to actually get it down on paper! I really, really hope you will keep reading and keep sending those inspiring and motivating reviews my way! They really make me smile and at times, laugh out loud **


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N – From this moment on, I have no excuses for not writing a lot and fast. Well aside from my job, obviously. Only Naomily action in this chapter, where words sort of became useless so there aren't many shared between them… **

**Skins – not mine…**

**Chapter 8**

**Naomi's POV**

A beam of sunlight slipping through the window woke me. For a split second I was baffled by what I saw once my tired eyes adjusted to the bright lights of Emily's room. She was still fast asleep, her head gently resting on my shoulder. My very numb shoulder, as it turns out. I couldn't feel my hand but not even the thought of permanently losing my left arm could make me move. In her sleep, Emily had intertwined one of her legs with mine but her arms were still tugged into her chest, creating a barrier between my chest and her upper body. My arm, the one that wasn't currently lying as deadweight under Emily's extremely heavy head, was still resting on her hip. Since I actually still had full motor function in this arm, I slowly moved it to brush a few strands of bright, red hair from Emily's beautiful face. She looked peaceful and there was a barely visible smile across her lips. Her eyes were puffy though, swollen from hours of crying. The bruise on her cheek had all but disappeared though, leaving only a small red mark near where her cheekbone met her temple. I silently prayed that my own bruises had faded but as I ran my tongue along my lips, I found the cut was still there and still a little sore.

I traced my functioning hand ever so softly along her shoulder and waistline, careful not to wake the sleeping beauty in my arms. A small sound escaped her at one point and I froze. When she didn't stir, I continued, this time tracing her neckline up to her small, pointy elf-ears and down the back of the neck, slowly running my fingers through her hair. Running after her last night had been the smartest thing I had ever done in my life. After slamming the door behind her, I had realized that I wasn't the real victim of last night's events – Emily was. Obviously, I had taken a physical beating but that, sadly, wasn't the first time and probably wouldn't be the last either. I seemed to have a tendency to get into trouble during the summer, although in all fairness, that was usually when Cook and I went pub-crawling and not while I was getting cozy with someone on a lounger.

She shifted slightly and I smiled despite the intense pain shooting up my otherwise numb arm. Watching her sleeping, I realized that I would take a beating for her every day as long as I got to feel this way as well. Emily had fallen asleep almost instantly after lying down, a testament to her emotionally exhausting evening. It hadn't taken me long either but judging by how drained I was feeling, we couldn't have slept more than a few hours. I lifted my head to look at the old-fashioned alarm clock on Emily's nightstand. Mum kept one in every room and since we didn't have phones in the rooms, the boarders were usually appreciative of them. _5.30 a.m. Jesus, no wonder I'm tired! _By my estimation, Emily and I had fallen asleep no more than two hours ago. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to get any more sleep until the circulation returned to my left arm and I still really didn't want to wake Emily.

She had been humiliated by her sister in front of group a peers as well as physically violated. I cringed at the thought of the verbal abuse Katie was probably capable of when alone with her sister. I was still angry with Katie but more than that I was curious to discover why she had overreacted. I had let go of my anger towards Emily the first time I laid eyes on her sitting on my bed with a tear-streaked face and those beautiful dark eyes echoing her true emotions. Unfortunately, I had been too proud and maybe a little stubborn to accept her apology and focus on what was really going on. Whatever I was feeling, Emily was feeling a million times worse. What I should have done and what I realized after slamming the door was that Emily was the one who needed an apology. Not from me, obviously, but from her sister. What Emily had needed last night, was a friend. I think that's why she was waiting in my room. To apologize, of course, to see if I was hurt, naturally, but more than anything, Emily was there because she was in desperate need of comfort and reassurance.

Another 30 minutes passed before Emily finally stirred and opened her eyes. I was scared that the sight of me staring back at her would cause her to jump out of bed in shock but she surprised me. Her dark eyes opened slowly and fixed on mine directly. She smiled shyly before placing a warm hand on my face. Her thumb tenderly caressed my cheek before once again moving down to my lips, brushing softly against the cut. Her movement caused another shot of pain to travel up my arm and I grimaced. Immediately, Emily frowned and popped up on her elbow, unintentionally causing several ripples of shooting pain as blood slowly filled the empty veins in my arm and fingers. I reluctantly let out a small whimper.

"What's happened?" Emily's voice was so hoarse I could hardly hear her. Her voice was naturally husky but all the crying yesterday probably fucked up her vocal chords, as it does most people. She was frowning in honest concern while trying to figure out where I was hurt.

"It's nothing", I managed to smile and say as reassuringly as I could despite pain still coursing through me, "my arm sort of went numb while we were sleeping, that's all."

"Oh! I'm so sorry", Emily sat up in the bed, understanding that the arm she had been using as a pillow was the one currently in pain. "Why didn't you wake me?", she asked, reprimanding me. All I could do was smile at her fussing about me. The pain was receding anyway, as normal blood flow seemed to have been restored once more. Smiling, I reached out and gently pulled her back down to lie next to me, this time however, not with her head resting on my shoulder.

We lay there, face to face in her bed, smiling and gazing into each other's eyes. I felt completely content just lying next to her, getting lost studying the soft features of her face, in the daylight no less. Her eyes were red shot from the tears and lack of sleep but they still managed to entrance me. Despite comforting her and being the friend she was so desperately in need of last night, I had told myself that engaging in anything other than this, friendship, was indeed a very bad idea. There was however one thing I had overlooked; the magnitude of her impact on me. Simply lying in bed with her, without actual skin touching, gazing into her enticing eyes was enough to make my stomach flutter and my heart race. Attempts at forcing my eyes to break the connection were failing and I felt myself inching closer to her until our heads were both resting on Emily's pillow. I desperately wanted to reach out, to let go of my reservations of what was undoubtedly a terrible idea but something was stopping me. Whether it was the fear of taking advantage of her while she was vulnerable or my own doubts about engaging in something like this again, I will never know.

**Emily's POV**

My entire being was screaming for her. The paralyzing state Naomi had found me in last night was long gone and all I could currently focus on were her alluring eyes, gazing into mine with a fiery passion. This was the first time I had been this close to her in daylight and her eyes shone even brighter than I had thought humanly possible. I had never noticed before but her irises were encircled by a blue-green edge a couple of shades darker than the eyes themselves.

She had been inching closer, eventually resting her head on my pillow, leaving our faces impossibly close. Her gaze had never left mine and I could see the electricity I felt coursing through my body mirrored in her expressive, blue eyes. I had hurt her, my sister had hurt her and yet she had come for me, to comfort me and hold me throughout the night, or at least, throughout the two hours of sleep we had gotten. I smiled at the memory and immediately saw it reciprocated on Naomi's lips. I broke eye contact as I saw her smile, getting locked on to her lavish lips. _I can't stand it!_

**Naomi's POV**

Somehow Emily read my mind, leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against mine. They were warm and soft, the kiss innocent, tender and filled with honesty. She pulled away and opened her eyes after a brief second and regarded me fearfully, as if she were scared she had done something to once again make me slam the door in her face. When she saw nothing but attraction and desire written on my face, because honestly, that is what I was feeling, she leaned in once again, parting her lips and capturing my lower lip between them in another soft kiss. I closed my eyes and answered her slow, tender kisses, letting her capture my lips between hers again and again. Emily didn't deepen the kiss and we were still lying on our sides, incredibly close and facing towards each other but essentially separate, apart from our slow-moving lips. Judging from the impact her mere lips were having, I would have imploded if she had. Her exploring my body under the blanket had been intense and my desire had been unprecedented but this was more, so much more than arousal. This was honest, we were exposed and baring ourselves completely. I was no stranger to the world of sex but this was intimacy, pure intimacy and this, I had no experience with. It scared me senseless but the pull of her lips overpowered my angst and I felt myself falling.

**Emily's POV**

I felt dizzy and a different kind of haze fell upon me as I finally pulled away from Naomi's wonderful lips. Granted, we had kissed before but that had been short and the result of built up desire. This time, we took our time and got to experience how even the slightest kiss could light fires. I had thought Naomi's hands moving along the small of my back divine, but the feel of her soft lips against mine, mirroring my movements, put her hands to shame.

She opened her eyes and an amazing smile spread across her transcendent face. _She's beautiful! _I grinned back at her with must have been a goofy smile as she reached out and tugged a few strands of unruly hair behind my ear. I was mesmerized by her, all of her, and as I felt her fingers gently trace their way down my neckline, the haze deepened. Despite the dizziness, I fixated on her eyes and saw no signs of doubts, only sheer determination as she lifted her head from the pillow and moved in. She was the aggressor this time but I happily followed her lead as our lips pressed harder and harder against each other. For a split second, I was worried that it might hurt the cut on her lip but quickly let go of the thought when I felt Naomi's tongue gently brush against my lower lip. I happily responded and let the tip of my tongue accept hers with the next kiss, gasping out loud as the sensation made my heart stop momentarily. She abruptly stopped and pulled away, regarding me with a worried frown.

**Naomi's POV**

Had I gone too far? Was this not what she wanted too? I was scared, no terrified of having misread the situation and when Emily opened her eyes, she regarded me in confusion. I bit my lower lip, as I tend to do when I'm feeling insecure and lifted my hand from the back of her neck and started pulling away. Emily grabbed my hand midair and placed it right back where it had been and crashed her lips into mine. Her kisses became increasingly aggressive as our tongues wound together, slowly exploring each other's taste. Emily moved closer and pressed against me and I responded by intertwining our legs together, hardly leaving any space between us. Her hand quickly found the small of my back and fire spread through me as it slipped under my shirt, pressing down hard and pulling us impossibly close. I felt the full length of her body press against mine, realizing once again what a tiny person she really was. Regardless, that tiny person started tracing hot, intense kisses down my neck and chest before returning her hungry attention to my mouth. My hand moved down her back, across her bottom to her taut thigh, which was bare and currently pressed amazingly between my own. I moved my hand along her thigh, all the way down to the knee before grabbing it and pressing it tighter against me.

Emily seemed to understand and in a quick movement, slid on top of me, pressing her entire body onto me, adding more pressure to her thigh. She broke our kiss and started kissing down my neck again, while slowly grinding her body, including her thigh, still so exquisitely positioned between my legs. I moaned louder than I had intended and pulled her lips back up to mine, hungrily seeking her tongue. She gladly responded and kept grinding against me, running her hands through my hair and driving me to the brink of insanity.

**Emily's POV**

Everything seemed to come naturally to me. Reacting to Naomi reacting to my hands, lips, tongue or grinding thigh felt like something I had been or at least should have been doing my entire life. With every touch, I learned more about her and the more I learned, the more I knew how to make her senseless. It was working a bit too well as she moaned and crashed our lips together forcefully. She flipped me over and slipped her hand under my pajamas. I gasped as her hand hastily found one of my breasts, cupping it briefly and squeezing it ever so lightly. She ran her palm across the breast, brushing up against my erect nipple. An intense teasing match between Naomi's hand on my breast and her lips on my mouth broke out. She tore her lips from mine and locked eyes with me while flicking my nipple with her thumb a few times. Every touch sent a pulse of electricity through me, causing my back to arch and my hips to lift from the bed towards her. She stopped the flicking and bent her head to once again place those miraculous lips on mine, except she stopped halfway so that I had to lift my head, eager to meet her. She moved away slightly when I reached for her and had an evil, sexy smirk across her lips. I put both my arms around her back, pulling her down with force in order to appease my thirst for her mouth. As soon as my tongue found hers, she started flicking her delicate thumb again, this time harder and faster. My intense appetite for her lips was soon forgotten as my head flew backwards and I moaned and silently prayed that she never move her hand from my chest ever again. She did though, to my great disappointment and I reached for her lips again. She switched her attention to my other breast and the teasing commenced once more.

**Naomi's POV**

I savored every fiery gaze Emily shot me, every moan she let out and every time her back arched towards me. I was on top of her completely now, grinding my hips into her, my leg pressed between her thighs, relishing in feeling her wetness against my skin. Knowing that I was having such an impact on her only drove me on more forcefully. I wanted more, needed more, needed to know her tastes, her desires, her sounds, her feel. I pulled away from her lips, tracing a pattern of kisses down the front of her t-shirt. Reaching the rim of it, I took hold of it with my teeth, pulling it up and revealing her tight, naked stomach. Satisfied at having more naked flesh to attack with my mouth, I started working my way back up her stomach, kissing and licking every piece of her exposed skin while my hands pressed her t-shirt up further, revealing her breasts. My mouth found one and I allowed myself to taste her nipple, sucking hard before flicking and circling it with my tongue. Emily swallowed a scream, yes, _scream_ as her head flew back, eyes closed and arms above her head, desperately reaching for something to grab hold of. She arched her back, and moved her hips up and down frantically against my leg that was still grinding between her thighs. I devoted my attention to her other breast, tasting it and flicking it with my tongue while working my thumb along the nipple I had just released from my mouth. Emily was panting hard, fighting to not lose control completely. I let go of her breast and brushed my hand down her stomach and easily slipped it down the front of her soaked knickers. I let two fingers press down lightly on her enlarged clit, before sliding them up and down it, one finger on each side of the clit, pinning it between them. This time, the scream wasn't swallowed and Emily let out a loud, "Fuuuuuuck!", as she arched her back and grabbed hold of me. She pulled me down for a sloppy, fierce kiss and moaned into my mouth as I continued to slide and flick my fingers teasingly along her clit. I knew teasing her and touching her lightly wouldn't give her any release but I was simply enjoying myself too much to go any further, for now at least.

A soft knock on the door, followed by JJ's concerned voice, "Emily? Are you alright?", ripped me from my Emily-induced haze. Emily opened her eyes and looked up at me in horror.

"Did you lock the door last night?", she whispered anxiously. I shook my head and she quickly pushed me off her, pulled her t-shirt down and gestured I should hide under the duvet. She walked to the door while running a hand through her hair and wiping her mouth.

"Hi JJ", Emily said as she cracked the door open, revealing a worried JJ on the other side.

"I heard noises and then I thought I heard you scream and I worried that you were hurt or perhaps that someone was hurting you, you know, like your sister and I felt I should see if you needed assistance. Not that I would ever hurt a girl but I really don't like it when people fight and last night was absolutely horrible. Well you should know, since you were smack in the middle of it and I suppose I should really be asking Naomi this, shouldn't I, since she was on the receiving end of…."

"JJ!", Emily said firmly. His ranting stopped and I heard Emily open the door a little more before whispering, "thank you, you are a good friend."

She closed the door and I peeked out from under the duvet. She was leaning against the door, flushed and smiling nervously at me. I jumped out of bed and walked to stand in front of her, my arms on either side of her head, pinning her against the door. You would think that after having spent the better part of an hour exploring each other, there wouldn't be a whole lot of built up tension left anymore. Standing there, close to her but without touching, I realized nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, the tension had increased, most likely due to the unfulfilled promise of sex and ecstasy. Outside, the bathroom door was slammed shut and voices were coming from the other rooms. I sighed and looked down into Emily's passionate eyes. I really, _really _wanted to drag her back to bed or, better yet, make her scream right there against the door but the thought of someone else knocking on her door deterred me. The magic of the moment and the morning had passed and we were supposed to leave for a day-trip with Mum and Kieran in about an hour anyway. And honestly, an hour wasn't nearly enough time for what I had in mind.

I sighed and kissed her once, honestly and tenderly, while cupping her face in my palms. "We're not done here…", I whispered, gazing into her magical eyes, taking care not to lose myself again. She opened her mouth to argue, so I kissed her again, put my arms around her waist and lifted her up off the ground and moved her away from the door. As I put her down, she pulled me in for a long, passionate kiss before I opened the door and slipped out, making sure no one was around to see me.

**Next is a boat-trip where Naomi has some explaining to do to Gina about the marks on her face and Emily carries a smile on her face that contradicts the events of the previous night... But until then, please, please keep sending feedback my way! It really brightens my day! **


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N – So it's been a week since I wrote anything on this story since I got a little caught up with "Solving the Cancer Enigma". I'm feeling slightly schizophrenic when I switch back and forth between stories but I'm hoping it doesn't show in the writing! **

**We're on a boat…**

**Skins is not my creation! **

**Chapter 9**

**Cook's POV**

I was waiting for everyone by the van smoking a morning fag when Naomi walked up. Her face was sporting a couple of impressive bruises but aside from that, she had a slight skip in her step. The cut on her lip had a nice, bright red crust on it and the bruise on her cheekbone had turned a dark blue overnight, actually spreading into her eye, making it look like she had a good, old-fashioned black eye. Her lip was less swollen though but there was no way Gina and Kieran weren't going to notice. She looked a lot like she had last year after our little incident down at the pub one village over. Kieran had been forced to come and pick us up and do some damage control after that little skirmish. Luckily, everyone always took a liking to the guy and he had been able to smooth things over for us. Well, technically, we were still banned from visiting again but I was pretty sure they wouldn't mind if we took the gang there some time as long as we didn't cause trouble. _Fat chance of that though!_

Despite herself and the bruises on her face, Naomi seemed oddly cheerful as she walked up and took the fag from my hand. She leaned against the side of the van and closed her eyes as she exhaled grey smoke.

"Looking good, Naomikins", I joked as I lit another fag.

She shot me a sideways smile as she exhaled once again. "Yeah, I've been meaning to try this new eyeshadow for a while now", she said and pointed to her swollen black-and blue eye and cheek. "What do you think? Too much?"

I laughed and was happy to have Naomi back to her old self. Last night had been unnerving, her acting too out of character for my comfort zone. The only other time I could recall that happening was when I had visited her at Uni a couple of months ago. Regardless, seeing her act like such a, well like such a girl, made me uncomfortable. It's not like I don't think she's allowed to act like a girl because I am very much aware of the fact that she is one, but she is usually so tough and always has been, so I wasn't sure how to handle it. Any other girl and I would have tried to smooth-talk and pat them on the back or whatever, but Naomi would just get pissed if I did that. I suppose the problem with keeping most people at arm's length is that they actually stay at arm's length when you need them a lot closer.

"What are you gonna tell your Mum?"

Naomi sighed and placed a finger on her lip, tapping it gently. "Well, I was thinking of a classic. You know, the walked-into-a-door-in-the-dark-type of thing."

"Won't work, you used that last year after our 'infamous' bar-fight."

"Yeah, but Mum found out about that anyway since Kieran felt so guilty about keeping it from her."

I nodded in agreement. "Still, Gina knows you lied about walking into a door last time, so she won't exactly be prone to believe you know, will she?"

"Well, I can't really tell her Katie Fucking Fitch beat me to a bloody pulp because I was snogging her sister in a lounger, now can I?" She rolled her eyes and reached into my pocket for the fags. "Got any brilliant ideas?"

I shook my head and lit her fag. Looking up, I noticed Gina and Kieran walking towards us carrying picnic baskets and rucksacks. "You better think of something quick, though."

**Naomi's POV**

After leaving Emily's room, I had taken a very necessary cold, no fuck it, freezing shower. I decided against going down for breakfast because I needed to avoid both Mum and Katie for a little while longer. Under normal circumstances, I would have simply confronted Katie but the situation was a little more delicate than usual and I needed some time to think about how to approach it. She deserved to know exactly what I thought of her but at the same time, I was going to be forced to live and work beside her for another five weeks. But honestly, the main reason for not telling her off had nothing to do with my work ethic or supreme social skills. It was all about Emily, of course. Despite everything that had happened between us last night, I was painfully aware of the fact that given an ultimatum, Emily would choose her sister over me. And I really, _really _needed to make sure that didn't happen. I was already addicted and had decided to swallow my otherwise unrelenting pride for the sake of feeding my insatiable appetite for Emily Fitch. I still wasn't sure how I would react to seeing Katie again but I had at least decided to keep schtum, for now.

Once Mum noticed my face, she looked positively horrified. "Oh Naomi, now what have you done?"

I decided the best defense was a good offense and turned the tables on her. "Why do you always assume that _I _did something?" I narrowed my eyes at her. "Good parents would be concerned about my wellbeing first but you just go directly into automatically assuming that I'm solely to blame for this", I said and pointed to my cheek. I acted upset and violently opened the side door of the van and jumped all the way in the back. I threw myself down in a seat, crossed my arms and looked out the opposite window, away from Mum and Kieran. I felt guilty but at least Mum would too and therefore keep the questions to a minimum.

JJ and Effy joined us carrying coolers and another basket which they put in the back with the other supplies. Effy joined Cook for a quick smoke while JJ spoke excitedly to Kieran and Mum about something out of hearing range for me. Finally, the twins showed up, Katie prancing confidently in front of her sister and Emily shyly looking down, arms full of the blankets we had been using around the fire last night. She put them in the back and quickly jumped in the van. She didn't speak to anyone and didn't look at me which made my heart sink more than I had ever thought possible. It had been less than an hour since I left her room and I for one was still on fire from the whole experience but apparently, Emily could turn that switch off whenever her sister was around. She took the seat directly in front of mine and stared aimlessly out the window. I was a little hurt that she couldn't even acknowledge me and felt anger start to build but gritted my teeth to keep from calling her out. Effy jumped in next to me with Cook taking the final seat in the back. He pulled the seat in front of him in place, allowing JJ to jump in and sit next to Emily, leaving Katie to take the seat in front of Cook. She shot him a challenging look but it wasn't genuine and I wondered what had happened between them last night. I knew what _hadn't _happened but I wasn't sure if she had actually been up for rolling around with Cook or if he had rejected her. The look on her face told me it was probably the latter and I smiled to myself at Cook's loyalty. _That can't have been easy…_

Kieran started the van and set off toward the coast. We had about one hour by car before reaching the harbor where Kieran had a ship, yes _ship_, waiting. It actually belonged to Doug but he wasn't much of a sailor so Kieran did most of the maintenance and in return, Doug allowed him unlimited use of it. Mum quickly got bored and turned on the radio, scrambling for something interesting to listen to. When she found a station that was having some sort of Sunday countdown, resulting in a flow of current hits, Katie and JJ let out appreciative sounds and started singing along. The music lightened the mood in the back of the van and eventually, even Effy started singing along to the tunes.

Emily was however still staring out the window, her head resting against it. My anger at being ignored had subsided but it pained me to see that Emily obviously wasn't sharing in on the fun. Was she regretting last night? Had Katie said something this morning that upset her further? The memory of the intensity of this morning came rushing through me like wildfire and I fought a strong urge to run my hand through the bright-red hair draped across the seat in front of me. For the second time in just a few hours, it felt like Emily read my mind. Almost without moving, her hand slipped back through the small space between the seat and the side of the van and found my calf. I jumped a tad at her touch, it taking me by surprise, before leaning forward to rest my head against her seat. This allowed me to reach down and take hold of her hand, caressing it gently before a burst of pure joy shot through me as she intertwined her fingers with mine.

**Emily's POV**

I suppressed the smile forming on my face by biting down hard on my lip. I needed Katie to keep believing that she had completely deterred me from spending time with Naomi but being stuck a car in such close proximity to the object of my obsession, made it impossible for me to keep up appearances. I simply had to reach back and touch her. I wondered at how it was possible to feel such a level of excitement simply by intertwining my fingers with hers. Glancing toward Katie, I was happy to see her oblivious to my defiant caress of Naomi's hand. She was busy having a grand time singing along to the music, at times in happy duet with JJ.

We spent the rest of the car ride holding hands. From time to time, Naomi's other hand would gently brush along the part of my arm that was hidden in the space between my seat and the van, sending happy flashes of energy up my arm and making my stomach flutter. Occasionally, I glanced toward my sister and reminded myself to thank JJ for sitting between us and for distracting her. Katie had ignored me during breakfast and had yet to speak as much as a word to me.

None of us knew where we were going today, since Kieran kept claiming it would be more fun to keep us guessing. All he had told us was to bring bathing suits and towels. As we pulled up to a harbor parking lot, Naomi let go of my hand and I instantly felt my heart sink. The mood was however light as we all climbed out of the van, stretching our limbs after the one hour drive. Kieran was practically giddy with excitement as he ran to the back of the van and started handing out picnic baskets, rucksacks and blankets. I noticed Gina talking softly with Naomi before reaching out and gently stroking her bruised cheek and I wondered what Naomi had told her. I was guessing it wasn't the truth because despite Gina's tranquil, goodhearted nature, I doubted she would drop the whole you-physically-abused-my-child-thing for the sake of keeping the peace. Katie noticed the scene too and I recognized the look of terror that momentarily surfaced. My twin looked ready to dart at any moment as she stood there, visibly agitated, watching Gina pull Naomi in for a quick embrace. Realizing that Naomi had kept quiet, Katie relaxed and if I didn't know better, I would have thought I saw her throw Naomi a thankful look as she quickly walked passed them carrying a load of blankets.

"All right then! Follow me!", Kieran exclaimed excitedly and set a steady pace toward the pier. Cook walked alongside me carrying a heavy cooler in each hand, while I had picked up a rucksack.

"Didn't think I would see you smile today, Red."

I turned and looked up at him, trying hard to conceal the even brighter smile currently forming on my face. Frankly, I hadn't even realized I was smiling to begin with. "Yeah well, you should give yourself and your fags a little more credit then!" I smiled warmly at him.

He smiled that goofy, endearing smile before winking at me and saying, "or maybe I should give Blondie some of the credit, eh?"

I felt my cheeks turn red and my smile disappeared as I came to an abrupt halt. Had she already told him? Cook winked at me again before tipping his head back and laughing earnestly as he walked away. _Fuck! _Somehow, I felt less confident about the entire situation than I had a couple of minutes ago when Naomi's soft hand was still locked with mine. I sighed and quickly closed the distance between myself and the rest of the group.

We walked out on a long pier that stretched about 100 meters into the water before stopping at the end in front of a huge two-mast ship. Kieran turned around and looked expectantly at us, relishing in seeing our jaws drop to the dry boards of the pier. I dared a look in Naomi's direction and saw her watching me with a brilliant smile. Her eyes were sparkling and bursting with an excitement almost matching Kieran's. She bit her lip shyly when she realized I was watching her and turned around to jump onto the ship. She dropped the picnic baskets and released the small plank attached to the side of the ship, making it possible for the rest of us to cross without having to jump across the gap between the ship and the pier.

Cook, Naomi and Kieran dropped anchor and set sail with JJ watching, as always, eager and willing to learn and help where he could. I settled down at the bow beside my sister and Effy. Gina had gone down below to arrange the baskets and bags before joining us, handing out yellow lifejackets. I expected Katie to put up a fight at the thought of ruining the chance to work on her tan but she accepted the jacket without a word. She was acting out of character today but I suppose the thought of Gina discovering that she was the cause of Naomi's bruised face was enough to deter her from her usual bratty behavior.

Feeling the cool morning wind against my face as we darted through the waves was nothing short of amazing. The ship quickly picked up speed as we started heading north along the coast, passing several small villages that all seemed identical to Ogmore-by-Sea. Naomi was busy showing JJ how to properly tie the ropes down but Cook had disappeared below deck. Effy pulled out a packet of fags from a seemingly invisible pocket in her shirt and settled against the ropes of the railing. She offered us one but neither Katie nor I were smokers, well, unless you count the three I had smoked with Cook last night, so we declined. Effy shrugged and put the packet back inside her shirt. Katie complained a little about giving us cancer from secondhand smoke and left. I watched her disappear below before reaching out and taking the lit fag from Effy's fingers.

"Not a word", I said, smiling secretively, as I took a drag and handed it back to her. Effy raised a curious eyebrow before shrugging and tipping her head back to enjoy the early morning sun. Gina was sitting behind Kieran at the helm, where JJ was busy asking a million different questions. I glanced toward Naomi and my breath hitched as I saw her lift her t-shirt over her head, exposing her amazing upper body to the world. Or maybe just to me, since I was the only one presently perving on her. She bent down to pick up the lifejacket and caught my eye as she did. Reading the expression on my face, she sent me a devious smile and took a good long time before standing and slowly securing the jacket around her. I swallowed hard in an attempt to gather my wits but it was futile as Naomi picked up a water bottle and walked towards us, looking so sexy in that stupid, yellow lifejacket, that I thought I would burst.

She took a seat next to me, so close that our naked shoulders were touching and as she shifted to lounge against the ropes, she moved her arm to rest on the deck behind me. I noticed her glance toward the hatch and stairs leading below deck before moving her hand ever to rest on the naked skin at the small of my back just below the rim of the lifejacket. Her fingertips slid down the back of my bikini-bottoms, effectively squeezing my butt slightly. The simple touch sent ripples of electricity through me but this time it didn't make my stomach flutter as much as make me aware of a familiar tingle between my legs. I leaned into her while keeping an eye out for the reappearance of my sister.

**KFF isn't being the bitch to Naomi I thought she would and Naomi is being a bit of a wuss in order to stay close to Emily. That can't really last long, can it? **

**Keep those reviews coming! I feed off of them… Literally (almost)…**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N – I'm not a boating expert, so if any of you are and I have made mistakes in the terminology, I formally apologize! There's a lot of Cook-Katie interaction here but more Naomily will soon follow… **

**Skins is not mine!**

**Chapter 10**

**Cook's POV**

I was busy trying to fit as many of the beers from the coolers as possible into the little fridge powered by the boat's generator. Water you can drink warm but beer is quite a different story. I managed to fit all but one into the fridge and pondered whether it was too early to pop the first one. Realizing that it is never too early, I opened it and put it to my lips.

"Enjoying a nice breakfast, I see", Katie voiced sarcastically from behind me. She hadn't spoken a word to me since I left her to chase after Emily last night and I figured our little fling was over. Katie Fitch didn't seem like the type of girl to just accept being rejected, let alone for her own sister – even if it wasn't like that between me and Emily. I turned around, expecting to see her sneering at me and was surprised to see that her expression didn't match the tone of her voice.

She looked insecure, her usual confidence and challenging gaze nowhere to be found. She took a hesitant step towards me and looked up at me, her eyes bloodshot and tired. Remembering her behavior last night made me take a step backwards. I liked Katie, I really, _really _liked her in fact but no girl would ever be worth jeopardizing my relationship with Naomi over.

One of the things I had grown to like so much about Katie was her go-fuck-yourself-attitude. She knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to reach out and make sure she got it and where I was concerned, I was happy to oblige her. Until last night that is. Seeing her bent over Naomi, fists pumping and turning my friend into a bloody pulp was enough to deter me from any further interaction with her, regardless of how incredible the sex had been. After spending some time with Emily last night, I really couldn't understand why Katie acted the way she did. It was quite clear to me that Emily wasn't all that into guys and so very, very obviously into Naomi. I had figured it all out just by seeing them around each other. Why in the world Katie would take offense to that was beyond me. When Naomi had told me about the fling she had had with a girl from Uni, I had been surprised but my surprise had quickly turned into curiosity. Especially since that girl had turned into something of a nutter, making me think the sex must have involved some crazy shit.

Now Katie was standing in front of me with a completely different demeanor, one I didn't even think her capable of. Not knowing what else to do, I offered her the beer. She frowned at me and opened her mouth to object but thought better of it, shrugged, accepted it and took a large swig. She held it out for me but I shook my head and got out another one instead. Katie took another large sip and leaned against the cupboard next to me.

"Emily is the most important thing in the world to me", Katie finally said before downing the rest of the beer. I simply nodded and finished my own, putting the empty bottles in one of the empty coolers. "I tend to get very… protective of her because, well, she's never been very good at standing up for herself." She exhaled, sighed and shook her head before continuing. "When we were ten, this boy from our class was bullying her but I wasn't aware of it because he never did it when I was around. I actually fancied him and was probably a little blind to the fact that Emily never wanted to be around him. I was a bit of a bitch about the whole thing really and when Emily finally confessed that he was literally beating the shit out of her, I took his side and accused her of being jealous of me." She paused and stared into the empty space between us, obviously lost in thought.

"She didn't speak to me for weeks and I was awful to her, both at school and at home. One day, I showed up late for school but Emily had hurried and made it on time. He must have thought I was out sick or something because I caught him slamming my sister into a wall during recess. She was crying but wasn't even trying to fight back."

"Why not?", I asked, curious as to why someone would just accept being beaten like that. It literally went against everything I believed in and lived by.

She held out her hands and shrugged. "I don't know… Obviously, I lost my temper and jumped him. Since we were only ten years old, he wasn't bigger or stronger than me, so it was a fair fight. Or at least it should have been but I don't fight fair", she said and smirked at me. I was surprised to feel excited about seeing some of Katie's confidence return. "Needless to say, he missed a week of school and never touched Emily again."

I let out a short laugh and got out two additional beers and handed one to her. Something about the situation made it obvious that alcohol was a welcomed companion. Katie downed half of it in one, large gulp before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Last night's events had clearly taken its toll on Katie as well, despite everything being her doing. I didn't doubt for a second that she did love Emily and that in some weird way, she was trying to protect her like she always had. I took a large swig myself and leaned against the same cupboard as Katie, moving a little closer to her in the process.

"Naomi wasn't exactly bullying her last night, you know."

She sighed apologetically and took another swig of beer. "I know."

"You really did some damage though, I was quite impressed." I winked and she shot me a crooked smile in return. The challenge in her eye was back and I was reminded why I had found her so attractive in the first place. For the first time, I actually regretted rejecting her last night as the look in her eye switched from apologetic to passionate. She moved in to kiss me, her dark eyes keeping me locked in place but at the very last minute, Naomi's black eye flashed before my eyes and I moved away, leaving Katie looking like quite the fool. Her eyes lit up in anger at being rejected, again, and she slammed the bottle in her hand down hard on the table, beer spilling over. I'm really the wrong person to show aggression towards, not that I would ever touch a girl but I don't scare easily. I took a step towards her, moving my head down to hers with a threatening expression on my face. Did she really think it would be that simple, that it would take so little to make me forget about the bruises on Naomi's face?

"You hurt my friend", I said menacingly, pointing a threatening finger in her face. "I don't give a fuck that in your warped mind you were protecting your sister." I paused and saw my words hit home. "Emily is the most important thing in the world you say? Well, Naomi is mine." I shot her a last look, taking note of the shocked expression on her face. "Touch her again…", I said, gritting my teeth and deciding to leave that statement open as I left her standing alone in the small kitchen.

**Naomi's POV**

Effy was being surprisingly talkative this morning. It was hard to believe that less than 12 hours ago, she had been sitting around a fire, telling us an emotional story of a girl and her demons. Not only had a lot of things happened between me and Emily since then, essentially warping my sense of time but Effy seemed like a different person as well. She was smiling more and generally paying more attention to the rest of us. Unfortunately that meant that she was currently not being her usual indifferent self and was engaging in actual conversation with me and Emily, resulting in it being increasingly hard to keep caressing the bare skin of Emily's back without Effy noticing. The ship was gently swaying on the waves as we slowed down, causing Emily to gently bump into me in sync with the rolling waves. Every time she did, our thighs would touch, the sensation of her warm skin against mine lingering and spreading throughout my body.

Cook finally emerged from below deck and Kieran yelled at the two of us to trim the sails. I reluctantly got up and left Emily and Effy and assisted Cook and JJ in securing the sails and lowering the anchor. We had been sailing for the better part of an hour and had stopped near a small island with a narrow beach of fine, white sand. I knew the place of course and had in fact spent a good deal of time there. Two years ago, we had excavated a mysterious earthwork here that Kieran and Doug believed to be of some sort of Druidic nature. A little plaque on the beach explained the whole thing and that the island was off limits to trespassers. We, of course, were not obliged to follow such rules and Kieran encouraged us to either jump in and swim to the island or join him and Gina in the inflatable boat with the picnic baskets and rucksacks. I shared a look with Cook and we rushed to the bow, ripping off our lifejackets in the process before diving head first into the water. JJ was right behind us, pausing slightly to peek over the side, sizing up the drop from the bow to the water's edge. Realizing it was only about two meters, he grinned and jumped, curling up into a ball midair and creating a huge splash as he hit the water. Effy joined Gina and Kieran in the inflatable and beat us to the beach while Emily and Katie were suddenly nowhere to be seen.

**Emily's POV**

I had hesitated for a moment before deciding on jumping off the bow and swimming to shore but as I took off the lifejacket, a hand touch my arm and I turned around. The pained look on my sister's face made my heart bleed and quickly made me forget about my own anger and animosity. Kieran was helping Gina into the inflatable and shot me an expectant look, as if to ask if we were joining them. I shook my head and nodded towards to bow and gave him my best, forced smile. He smiled back and jumped into the little boat and headed toward shore. I turned my attention back to my sister who now had tears streaming down her face.

"Katie? What's wrong?" I resented myself for so easily letting go of my anger simply because she was standing in front of me, crying.

She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and looked away for a second. When she turned to face me again, she had carried a look that I hadn't seen in years – shame.

"I… I shouldn't have…", she started, obviously uncomfortable with the situation and not really having planned what to say. I realized my sister, who was otherwise completely devoid of guilt, was trying to apologize to me. Needless to say, I needed to savor this moment because God knows how long it would be till the next apology. I crossed my arms and eyed her expectantly.

"Emsy, please… I'm sorry, okay?"

Aside from the words 'I'm sorry', it wasn't much of an apology and it wasn't nearly enough. I shrugged in disbelief, "what, that's it?", I sneered at her, surprising myself and her with my tone. Being around Naomi this morning had given me a boost of confidence that was apparently spilling over.

The look of surprise on Katie's face was fleeting as she regained her old mannerism. "I said I was sorry, Emsy, and I am, so yeah, that's all you get." She raised a defiant eyebrow and pursed her lips and I felt my newfound confidence falter.

**Naomi's POV**

Katie and Emily swam to shore, the former looking oddly pleased with herself as she got out of the water. Emily walked passed me looking at her feet and completely ignored me while we helped set up the morning picnic. I realized something must have happened while the twins were alone on the ship and instantly hated Katie for having such a hold on Emily. She kept quiet and completely ignored me while we enjoyed the freshly baked bread and homemade jam, fresh fruit and coffee Mum had prepared. Katie on the other hand, was back to her old, talkative and attention-stealing ways and kept eyeing Cook with more sexual innuendo than I think I have ever seen before.

Once we finished eating, Cook, Effy and I went down for a smoke and soaked our feet in the water. I was in a terrible mood because of Emily's 180 and Cook needed to get away from Katie before he burst. In the beginning, he had seemed angry with her and had ignored the glares and winks in his direction but as the picnic had progressed, I noticed his anger vanish before the sun and his resolve falter. Before I pulled him away for a smoke, he was actually staring back at her, a goofy grin across his face. I knew Cook liked Katie and I reminded myself to thank him for his loyalty, because at the moment, she was making it hard for him to not let his lust get the better of him.

When we had finished smoking, Kieran took all of us on a tour of the island and the old excavation site. Cook and I had obviously heard this story a million times, so we lagged our feet a little, putting some distance between us and the twins walking in front of us. JJ was walking next to Kieran and Mum in order to suck everything in and Effy had, per usual, linked her arm with JJ's and was walking beside them.

"Quite a sight, eh Blondie?", Cook winked and nodded towards the twins walking in front of us.

I was still in a horrible mood and I rolled my eyes but once my gaze fell upon Emily's backside and drifted down to her thighs, I felt my mood lighten a little. She was only wearing bikini-bottoms and a top, making it possible for me to perv on her and impossible for me not to. I was still angry at being ignored but my anger was now directed towards Katie because there was really no way I could stay mad at Emily, especially when she was right in front of me, in a soaked shirt and bikini. I actually licked my lips and unfortunately, Cook noticed. He started laughing loudly.

"Shit Naomi, you've got it bad for Red, don't you? What happened last night anyway? Did she fuck you under that blanket or something?" I punched him hard in the gut. "AUCH!"

"No! Nothing happened, it was all perfectly innocent."

He frowned at me, not believing a word I said. I sighed and surrendered, "fine. I _might _have gone to her room after slamming the door in her face when she tried to apologize to me." A wide grin started to form on Cook's face. "And I _might_ have spent the better part of the morning getting properly acquainted with Emily's amazing physique…"

Cook couldn't contain himself and burst out in laughter. I punched his shoulder but only lightly and started to laugh myself. "It's just that right when things were getting interesting, JJ showed up and ruined everything." Cook had stopped walking and was bent over laughing, hands on his knees. I shrugged and giggled, "and I _might_ have been walking around with the female equivalent of blue-balls ever since."

He stopped laughing long enough to reach out and place an empathetic hand on my shoulder. "I guess I know why she had that huge smile on her face earlier then…" He dried a few tears from his eyes, "and I can honestly not blame you for perving on her, not just 'coz of the blue-balls thing", he giggled at the thought, "but she's quite a sight, that Red, even if I personally prefer her sister."

At his last words, we instantly turned to each other, a horrified look on both our faces, as we realized that except for a few minor details, we were basically, at least physically, fantasizing about the same girl. Don't get me wrong, they were far from identical but given the right, or rather wrong, lighting and dress them up alike and they could easily pass for each other.

"Let's never go there again." I said, horrified at the images that kept popping into my head.

"Agreed", he replied, a somber look on his face.

**Cook's POV**

It was getting harder and harder to ignore her. After the tour of the island, we had all gone for a swim in order to work up an appetite for another one of Gina's delicious spreads. I personally was looking forward to the beers we would be having soon, as the sun was now bearing down hard on us. Katie was lounging about seductively, every move she made was absolutely laced with sex and I couldn't keep my eyes off her. Something had changed since this morning when she had tried to explain things to me. She was being nice to Emily for once but I knew that to be a bad thing, since it meant Emily had once again turned quiet and was staying away from Naomi, making Naomi miserable in the process. While we were swimming, I did notice Emily stare at Blondie when she wasn't looking and the hurt and longing in her eyes was impossible to miss. Of course, I was more than fully aware of Naomi's feelings for Emily and I had figured out that the only reason Naomi hadn't taken up the fight with Katie, was because of those feelings. Her usual I-don't-give-a-fuck-about-what-anyone-thinks-attitude wasn't a goer here because she did care, and probably a whole lot, about Emily. Much like I was starting to realize I did for Katie. She was sexy, so fucking sexy and the smoldering looks she kept throwing my way were driving me to the brink of insanity.

Kieran was about to take the inflatable back to the ship to get new beverages and thankfully, those would include the beers. Feeling a strong need to cool down a bit, I convinced him that I would do it and that he should relax for a bit. He simply shrugged and patted me thankfully on the back as he went back to join Gina on a blanket near the water. I pushed the small boat into deeper water and was about to pull myself in when I noticed her.

"Give a girl a hand?" Katie held out her arm as she took hold of the inflatable with the other one. She was standing dangerously close to me and I felt desire bubbling and had to swallow hard. I stepped behind her and took hold of her hips, lifting her up and into the inflatable before pulling myself in. She smiled seductively and adjusted her bikini as we set off toward the ship.

I helped her aboard and we walked below deck and started to fill the coolers with the cold beer from the fridge. Katie took one and opened it, offering me the bottle after she took a large sip. She hadn't said a word yet, aside from a sly 'thanks' when I helped her aboard earlier. I emptied about half of the bottle into my mouth before handing it back to her. She licked her lips slowly, almost caressing them with her tongue, before putting the bottle to her mouth without breaking eye contact.

I was fully aware that she hadn't apologized to Naomi and that the two of them were probably born to be sworn enemies but right now, standing here with Katie Fucking Fitch offering herself to me, I really didn't care. I pulled her in and crashed our lips together, while lifting her up on top of the cupboard. My hands found the bikini straps on her back, pulled them and let her bikini-top fall to the floor. I traced hot kisses down her neck while my hand found her breast and I felt her press against me. She was as aggressive as I was and her hands quickly pulled at my shorts. She wrapped her legs around me and I forgot all about her abusive behavior towards both Naomi and her sister as she started to grind her hips suggestively against me.

**I know, I know, Katie's still a bitch and poor Cook really can't help himself sometimes, he did try though. There is still plenty of Sunday day-trip fun planned ahead but I also want to write a chapter for "Solving the Cancer Enigma", so it might take a day before I can write the next chapter for this story… **

**The reviews have been awesome and I am thankful for each and every one! They are my source of motivation and therefore, so are you for providing them!**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N – okay, so I said it would be a day or so before I could update and it turned into a week and a day but in my defense, I did write three chapters for "Solving the Cancer Enigma", have a 55h work week and I am leaving for Australia in three days, so lots to do!**

**Thank you for following the story and for feeding my writing addiction with your sweet reviews!**

**Anywho, I hope it was worth the wait!**

**Chapter 11**

**Emily's POV**

Once I saw Katie join Cook, I set out to find Naomi who had disappeared somewhere with Effy a while ago. The island wasn't that big and I knew which direction they were headed in, having snuck a peek or two in Naomi's direction whenever Katie was busy giving Cook a hard time. I knew she was angry with me and I couldn't blame her. The ecstasy of the early morning hours was long gone and I was desperate for another fix. I was kicking myself for allowing Katie to eradicate the confidence I had gained from spending the night with Naomi and I was pretty sure Naomi hated me about as much as I hated myself.

I found Effy sitting at the edge of a grass slope overlooking the coastline, her head buried in a drawing. The little cove we had anchored in was hidden by a steep dune and Effy had been completely hidden from sight from the picnic-grounds. I had walked almost all the way around the old excavation site before seeing her sitting in the distance. There had been no sign of Naomi though but as I approached Effy, I saw her sitting on a large rock a bit further away, her feet dangling in the water and her back turned to us. She looked deep in thought and since she wasn't too happy with me at the moment, I was reluctant to climb out to join her. Instead, I slipped down into the grass next to Effy.

Despite having seen some of Effy's drawings earlier during the week, the sheer beauty of her work left me breathless. I hadn't even noticed that she had brought paper and pencils with her but I was both thankful and glad that she had. The coastline in the distance comprised of a tall ridge covered in light-green grass with large, grey cliffs at its base, the blue waves breaking and crashing into them with force creating clouds of white foam. Naomi was sitting in Effy's line of sight and she had included her in the drawing, depicting a young woman dangling her feet in the water, looking out towards the ridge, her back to the beholder. Of course I knew it was Naomi since I saw her sitting there, in the exact position Effy had drawn her in but I would like to think that even if I hadn't, it would have been evident anyway. It was captivating and truly, truly beautiful.

"Have you been drawing long?", I asked curiously.

"No", Effy answered without taking her eyes of the drawing, her hand moving in fluid motion. "On and off for about one year."

I nodded, even more impressed by her than before. "What made you start?"

She shrugged but I noticed her calm exterior falter momentarily, bona fide pain displayed in her blue eyes before regaining control and the indifferent expression I had gotten so used to. I had picked up on it though but decided not to push it since Effy seemed to fight hard to keep the truth hidden.

"It's beautiful, the best one I've seen you do so far." Effy gave me a genuine smile that quickly turned into a knowing smirk.

"That's just because it features your little crush out there", she said and nodded towards Naomi. I felt my face redden and looked away.

"Is it really that obvious?" I hadn't forgotten our little 'heart-to-heart' on the beach yesterday where Effy had made it clear that she saw right through me, passing through my increasingly pronounced 'gay' on the way.

"Only if you pay attention to detail." Effy shrugged and turned her attention back to the drawing.

I sighed loudly. "And I suppose you are prone to that, what with the level of detail in your drawings…" She nodded and smiled again.

"Nobody will care, you know." I frowned at her at first, not understanding what she was referring to and having a hard time accepting it was my crush on Naomi. Because from the look of Naomi's face today at least one person minded quite a bit. "Well, maybe aside from your sister", she concluded somberly.

Not knowing how to respond, I simply sat there in silence and watched Effy put the final touches on her drawing. Satisfied, she smiled at me and got to her feet. She turned to leave but changed her mind and dropped to her knees beside me in a graceful, fluid motion. _God, even the way she sits down is a display of beauty!_

I turned to face her and was met by a serious and earnest look in Effy's sapphire eyes. "Life is short and love is rare, Emily. You'd best remember that." With that, she rose and left me staring after her as she walked back towards the campsite. _Who said anything about love? This wasn't love. Was it?_

**Naomi's POV**

My terrible mood had lightened as I enjoyed the serenity of my favorite spot on the island and perhaps in the whole world. I hadn't been here since last autumn when Cook and I came for one last visit before I went off to Uni and I was happy to feel it work its magic on me. I was lost in thought, staring at my feet tracing circles in the water when a shadow suddenly towered above me, my heart skipping when I saw bright, red hair reflected in the water.

She sat down next to me without saying a word. For the second time within a span of less than twelve hours, I found myself waiting in silence for Emily Fitch to apologize to me and hoping this wasn't going to turn into a trend. I figured I might as well spend my time enjoying the view and I wasn't referring to the coastline. She was still only wearing her bikini and that same top but it had unfortunately dried, leaving more to my imagination than I was hoping for. She was however, a breathtaking sight, her red hair ruffled and slick from the saltwater and her increasingly tanned skin complimenting her dark eyes wondrously. _Remember that you are still upset with her!_

"How's your face?", she finally said, surprising me by not starting with an apology like I was expecting her to.

"Fine." I raised my eyes to regard the horizon as opposed to Emily's clear reflection in the water. The sun was bearing down on us and I started moving my feet through the water again, cooling myself slightly. Emily's toes only just touched the water and I couldn't help but laugh as I saw her try and fail to imitate me.

"Stop it!" Emily giggled, shoving me softly and almost pushing me off the rock. "It's not funny, not everyone can have perfect legs like you!" I smiled at the compliment and looked sideways at her, my stomach fluttering as I saw her grinning back at me. _Christ, I'm easily charmed today._

"I'm very upset with you, you know." I couldn't stop smiling though, making it hard for Emily to take me seriously and she started to giggle again.

"Yeah, I can see that!" She laughed and it was the most adorable thing I had ever heard. _Fuck it._

I gave her a sideways smirk, took off my shirt and pushed myself off the cliff and into the water. I knew the water was deep enough since I had practiced diving headfirst here with Cook a couple of years ago. Breaking the surface, I wiped water from my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair, securing it behind my ears. I looked expectantly at Emily who was still sitting on the rock. "Well?"

The surprised expression on her face converted into a grin as she quickly pulled off her shirt, revealing extraordinary abs that were remarkably enough still visible despite her sitting position. I felt a new wave of appreciation for her body and more than a little pride in knowing that I had my hands and lips on it mere hours ago. Emily got to her feet and took a couple of steps backwards and I lost sight of her. I swam backwards with a couple of strokes, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Suddenly, she came running towards the edge of the rocks and jumped headfirst into the water in a perfect arch. _She's perfect and I'm an idiot._

She surfaced behind me, the perfect dive naturally taking her a good few meters into the ocean. Her red hair glistened when she turned and swam back towards me, a mischievous expression on her face. I started moving backwards towards the rocks, my eyes never leaving hers. Emily took a few quick, strong strokes and closed the distance between us before I reached the rocks.

When she reached me, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled herself into me, eliminating any remaining space between our bodies. Her lips hungrily sought mine and there was no innocence lost between us this time. I took control and spun her around in the water before deepening the kiss. I sensed her body's reaction to the touch of my tongue on hers and felt it spur me on once again. I knew of a little pocked between the large rocks where the underwater boulder had been flattened and smoothed by millennia of crashing waves. I maneuvered Emily there and pushed her up against the rock behind her, my mind flashing to earlier this morning when I had fought the strong desire ravish her up against the door. With that image in mind and feeling Emily wrap her legs around my waist, her mouth hungry and never leaving mine, I let go of any lingering irritation and lost myself in her completely.

**Emily's POV**

Naomi was more aggressive than this morning, her hands impatiently seeking my breasts, her thumbs roughly and quickly flicking my nipples, causing bursts of heat to spread throughout me. I tipped my head back and bit my lip to suppress a moan from escaping as her right hand moved down my waistline before settling on my butt, grabbing it, effectively pulling me towards her. My legs were still wrapped around her waist and when she pulled me towards her, a particularly sensitive spot between my thighs brushed up against her stomach. I cursed my bikini for quenching the sensation but quickly forgot as Naomi pushed me harder up against the rock, essentially lifting me halfway out of the water. Her lips traced hot kisses down my neckline before pushing my bikini-top aside, her mouth settling on a nipple. New thrusts of pleasure shot through me, resonating between my thighs and causing me to involuntarily grind against her stomach. Her mouth lifted from my breast and I bent my head back down towards her, our lips meeting each other halfway as she pushed herself up towards me. My legs slipped and I slid down the face of the rock, scraping my back but not caring enough to register the pain. Standing on the flattened boulder, the water almost reached my collarbone, leaving my chest inaccessible to Naomi's mouth. I took advantage of her moment of hesitation and turned the tables on her, switching places and pressing her against the rock.

The extra inches she had on me resulted in the water leaving her chest bare for exploration using both hands and lips, and I intended to take full advantage of it. I was venturing into unknown territory as my fingertips gently began to trace the shape of her breasts. I tried desperately to divert enough blood to my brain in order to remember what she had done to me that had made me scream out in pleasure. I didn't have to do much it seemed, as Naomi lost her patience with me and pulled my head roughly towards her for a hungry kiss. I stopped thinking and simply allowed my instincts to take over, brushing against her breasts with my palms before slipping one hand under her top, my thumb finding and flicking her hard nipple. Naomi's lips abruptly let go of mine as she tilted her head back and gasped. Realizing I was doing something right, my other hand slipped under her bikini, matching and pacing the strokes of each nipple.

I took advantage of her exposed neckline and left an openmouthed kiss on her sensitive pulse point, sucking down hard and causing her to let out another, louder gasp. She found the knot around my neck holding my bikini together and untied it. It was thankfully still tied around my back, otherwise it would have drifted off into the ocean without either of us noticing since we were both too caught up in exploring each other's naked skin.

I pulled her down for a kiss, her hands eagerly finding my bare breasts, once again sending bursts of pleasure coursing through me. I ripped myself away from her lips and started tracing frantic kisses down her neck, stopping briefly to suck on her pulse point before continuing my downward path. Finding a hard nipple, I took it in my mouth and bit down gently before circling it with my tongue. It had the desired effect as Naomi finally let out a loud moan and lifted a hand to my head, pressing it closer to her chest.

**Naomi's POV**

Feeling Emily's lips close around my nipple was the last straw. I was desperate for a release, this morning's built up sexual tension only adding to the throbbing sensation between my thighs. Being in the water, I knew mere friction from grinding our bodies incessantly together would never be enough, even despite the enormous amount of excitement currently building up in the both of us. I really had no idea of whether Emily had any experience with women but she certainly seemed to know what to do to drive me to the brink of insanity. Everything she was doing was making it harder and harder to breathe and near impossible to focus on paying her the right amount of attention.

I made a quick decision and took hold of her arms, reluctantly removing them and her mouth from my chest. She looked up at me in surprise and a slight frown appeared on her exquisite face. I smiled and bent my head to kiss her sweetly before turning it into a passionate and all-consuming moment. I slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her toward me, my back still up against the rock. Our bodies were pressing hard against each other while I kissed Emily with more desire and honesty than ever before. I savored every taste, every burst of energy the movement of her lips, tongue or hands caused, taking my sweet time before moving forward.

With one hand still around her waist, I pushed her away slightly, allowing for some space between us. Emily tried to move back in but I gently stopped her by placing my palm on her stomach, taking a minute to relish in the sensation of her tight abs. Without ever breaking our kiss, I moved my hand down along her abs and slipped it into her bikini-bottoms, causing her to jolt and moan into my mouth. Despite standing chest high in the cool ocean water, she felt warm and moist against my hand. I was greedy and eager and feeling her grab hold of my neck and hair only made it worse. I repeated this morning's movements by slipping a finger down each side of her clit, catching it between them but whatever patience I had left in me disappeared when Emily decided to copy me, slipping a hand into my bikini. She broke our kiss and attacked my neck and chest with burning, hungry kisses, making me forget what I should really be focusing on – her.

At this point it hardly mattered that I finally noticed that Emily might not have had much prior experience with women, because everything she was doing was still absolute heaven. She copied me at first before deciding to experiment, ever attentive and observing my every reaction, almost as if she were trying to make one of those IKEA-instruction manuals of my body and how to make it tick. Regardless, it was working and I could only pray that she never show that manual to anyone and that she would be using it in the future, preferably often. I felt unmistakable tension building as she increased the pace she was massaging my sensitive clit with and nearly lost it when I felt her other hand move up the inside of my thigh. She pushed the fabric of my bikini aside and slid a single finger inside me and my head flew back in a silent scream. I grabbed hold of her neck with both arms, finally giving up on focusing on her for now and pulled her in for a wet kiss. She smirked and the pure sensuality of her happily obliging me almost pushed me over the top. My toes started to tingle but I forced the sensation away, wanting to, no _needing_ to prolong this moment just a little more. Turns out I really, really shouldn't have.

"Naomi! Naomi!", Mum's inquisitive calls brought Emily's wonderful movements to an abrupt end. We were somewhat hidden from sight in the little pocket but if Mum decided to walk all the way out to the edge of the rocks, she would catch us. Since our shirts were scrambled on the rock above our heads, I knew it was only a matter of time before that scenario became reality. I pushed Emily away, slightly more aggressively than I had intended and quickly adjusted my bikini. Emily followed my lead and turned away to tie the knot behind her neck again. That's when I noticed the red marks on her back and I gasped loudly.

"Emily, what the fuck, you're bleeding!", I whispered in shock as she turned around. I was horrified, realizing that she must have scraped it while I was pressing her against the rock. She turned around and merely shrugged, a smirk spreading across her exquisite face as she looked at me.

She closed the distance between us and surprised me with a kiss. I heard Mum's voice getting closer and really needed to push Emily away but I just couldn't bring myself to. She finally broke away and locked eyes with me, a knowing smile covering her lips.

"Guess I'm not the only one who cares what _some_ people think."

**Poor girls, they really can't seem to catch a break! Although, Naomi is still acting way out of character, apparently caring what Gina might think and giving Emily a free-pass for being a coward for the second time…**

**As I mentioned, I will be leaving for Sydney soon and don't know when I will have time to write another chapter but I hope you will stick with the story and with me in the mean time!**


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N – I thought I would try and get one more chapter in before leaving and so; here you go! **

**And to LA Woman and marsupial1974; I really, really hope they get a little time to themselves soon too! But we shall see…**

**Chapter 12**

**Emily's POV**

It's not that I hadn't noticed the pain burning my back, it's just that when it happened, I couldn't care less as I was busy having my way with the gorgeous blonde currently sitting next to me. Once we had surfaced and Gina saw the cuts on my back, she had fussed and given Naomi a reprimand for being careless again, jumping off the rocks. Apparently, it wasn't the first time someone had ended up leaving the island bleeding and I couldn't help but wonder who Naomi could have taken to that very same spot. The though actually made me a little jealous but while we walked back to the campsite, Naomi explained how she had hit her head diving off the wrong rock with Cook last year. It was nothing serious, she had split her chin open but there was barely a scar now. I nearly gasped out loud when she leaned in to show me the scar. The sheer proximity of her exposed neck sent shivers down my spine and caused a particular spot to throb again. Picking up on my reaction, she gave me a scorching glare that I am thankful no one was around to see. I thought my sister the queen of sexual innuendo but Naomi was giving her a run for her money at the moment.

Gina had brought out the first aid kit and started sanitizing the marks on my back, Naomi sitting in front of me with a pained, empathetic expression.

"I'm so sorry", she said as I winced at Gina cleaning a particularly sensitive bruise. I shot her a smile but it quickly turned into a grimace as Naomi's mother dug some algae out of a cut. Naomi grabbed my hand and squeezed it in support and I momentarily forgot all about my scraped-up back, losing myself in Naomi's worried, ocean-colored eyes.

"I really don't understand how you could be so careless, Naomi", Gina scorned, shaking her head. "Some of these cuts are deep and absolutely filthy."

Naomi didn't bother answering, she felt guilty enough as it was, even if she hadn't been aware that I was hurt until after our little make-out session. I, for one, had no regrets about what had happened and told her as much with a quick squeeze of her hand and a forgiving look. "Really Gina, it wasn't her fault. I am a trained swimmer, I should have known better."

I could hear Gina mutter something under her breath but Naomi sent an appreciative smile my way. Behind her, I saw Cook and my sister walking up the beach, Cook towing the inflatable behind him. It didn't take more than one look at them to realize why it had taken them the better part of an hour getting beverages from the anchored ship. Katie noticed me sitting on the blanket with Naomi and Gina, the latter scrubbing my back with what felt like sandpaper, and came running. Naomi started to let go of my hand and I realized she was trying to avoid another confrontation with my sister. Still on a Naomi-induced high, I took firm hold of her hand and looked up at Katie with a defiant stare as she ran to my side. Katie's reaction however, was completely different from what I expected.

"Emsy, fuck, what happened?" She exclaimed with obvious and genuine concern in her voice. She reached out to touch the cuts on my back but thought better of it as Gina slapped her hand away.

"I got a little carried away, that's all", I shrugged and smirked at Naomi. Katie was standing behind me and therefore couldn't read the expression on my face that clearly stated exactly what I had gotten carried away with when I got the bruises.

Cook whistled. "Wow, Red, that looks painful." I looked up at him, still smiling slyly and shrugged. He glanced at Naomi who looked away to hide her reddening cheeks, and he winked at me in understanding. He turned around and opened the cooler, getting out a deliciously looking cold beer and offered it to me. "I think you are entitled to the first of these."

I happily accepted it and he pulled out a couple more, handing them to Naomi and Katie. To my surprise, Katie sat down next to Naomi, making it impossible for her not to notice us holding hands. She kept quiet though and simply gave me a sympathetic look as she took a sip from her beer. _Cook must have _really _made her happy back on that ship…_

Naomi seemed as perplexed at Katie's lack of bitchiness as I was and risked evoking her wrath as she commented on it. "Aren't you going to be bitchy to me, Katie?", she asked with a challenging, sideways glance.

Katie took another sip of her beer before facing Naomi, a menacing expression on her face. "Oh, I'll deal with you later."

Not picking up on the reason behind Katie's dislike of Naomi, Gina shushed the both of them. "Naomi has already apologized for being careless so there is no need for that, Katie."

Katie gave Gina the most genuine of her insincere smiles and ignored Naomi for the time being, her full attention back on me and my damaged back. Gina told Naomi and Cook to go set up lunch while she finished cleaning my cuts and I felt Naomi give my hand a final squeeze before getting to her feet.

I winced again, the pain somehow worse now that Naomi's soft hand was no longer clasped in mine and soothing the pain. "Does it hurt a lot, Emsy?", Katie asked and I honestly believed she was worried about me. I was starting to worry a bit myself since everyone seemed to be fussing a great deal about what I thought were just a few scrapes on my back. She turned to Gina, concerned, "do you think she'll need stitches?" _Stitches? What the fuck did I do?_

**Naomi's POV**

"I take it you and Katie had a good talk back on ship, then?" I wasn't too happy about it but I had seen the way Cook had been eyeing Katie ever since he met her and had realized it was only his strong loyalty towards me that had deterred him from sleeping with her again. That, of course, didn't mean I wasn't allowed to give him a hard time about it.

My best mate tensed up, the guilt on his face shining through and I have to admit I enjoyed watching him squirm a little for once. Not a whole lot of things could make James Cook uncomfortable and this was a rare sight indeed. He cleared his throat, "Yeah, about that…" He scratched his hair and turned to look at me, presumably to apologize for screwing the bitch that had kicked me around last night. I failed to keep a straight face and started to laugh at his awkwardness and obvious distress. Cook's guilty expression immediately transformed into a wide grin and he gave me a little push, making me spill some of my beer.

"You don't see me trying to make you feel guilty about scarring your girlfriend over there for life, do you?" He emphasized the word girlfriend and glanced in Katie and Emily's direction before turning back to me. "It really looks bad, what the fuck were you doing?"

"Swimming…", I answered, shrugging indifferently.

"Yeah right, swimming… Well, Katie and I were 'swimming' a couple of times back on the ship but you don't see any bruises on her back, now do you?" He actually sounded a bit accusing and I couldn't quite understand where this was coming from but it was pissing me off, not needing additional guilt added to my plate.

I took a few steps towards him, invading his personal space to let him know that he was getting on my nerves. "Maybe you weren't doing it right", I said coldly. "Why are you so quick to judge, Cook? Is Katie's fanny that magical, that you turn on me?"

Anger was flaring in his eyes but it faded as quickly as it had appeared. He diverted his gaze, defeated. "Sorry, Blondie, this doesn't really have anything to do with Katie at all." I frowned at him, not following. He sighed, "Look, I like Emily, alright? She's cool and she makes you all giddy and complacent, which honestly, is a first for you. But her back looks terrible and you weren't taking it seriously."

I noticed Effy and JJ had joined Mum and the twins, JJ examining the wounds thoroughly as I remember him doing with mine last night. Frowning, I turned to Cook. "I am taking it seriously, Cook. I feel horrible for not realizing it sooner but honestly, we were a little caught up back there. I didn't even know she was bleeding until Mum caught us."

"Hang on, hang on", he interrupted, waving a hand in front of my face. "Gina _caught _you?" He tipped his head back and laughed loudly and enthusiastically. I rolled my eyes at him, allowing him time to have his fun in picturing Emily and me in some compromising positions as well as the look on our faces when Mum caught us.

"No, she didn't see anything, fortunately, sorry to burst your bubble." He stopped laughing and pouted exaggeratedly. "She did intervene right as I was… Well, you can guess." I winked at him and he shot me a sympathetic look.

"Missed out again, did you? I think you're the one not doing it right, Blondie!"

I punched him on the shoulder, glad our little exchange was back to its normal mood and flow. We had finished preparing the food and called everyone over. Throughout the meal, Mum kept an eye on Emily's cuts, every once in a while noticing something filthy and wiping it away, making Emily grimace. I didn't take my eyes off her for the entire meal, making sure that she understood that I intended on making everything up to her as soon as I got the chance.

Needless to say, Emily didn't get back into the water for the rest of the afternoon and Katie decided she needed to take care of her sister and thus never left her side. Despite Katie not giving me any obvious shit, I still got the clear message that I shouldn't push my luck with her being in a protective and defensive mood. Effy decided on drawing Emily's portrait, so Cook and I took JJ for another walk around the island, discussing what we had been doing here and there in great detail. By the time we got back it was late afternoon and Mum, Kieran and Effy were packing everything up but Emily and Katie were nowhere to be seen. I instantly worried and ran to Mum, my hands held out in question.

"Where's Emily?" Realizing I was being a bit obvious, I followed it with "and Katie?"

"They are on the ship already. Kieran took them in the inflatable a while ago. Emily wasn't feeling well.", Effy answered, her eyes revealing her worry. I fought a strong urge to jump into the water and swim to the boat to check on her but instead, I helped Mum pack up the last of the stuff and joined her, Kieran and Effy in the inflatable. JJ and Cook had decided to swim and were about halfway when we pulled the little boat back onto the side of the ship and secured it. Knowing I had about five minutes before Cook and JJ made it back, I went out in search of Emily.

**Emily's POV**

"Katie, stop fussing, would you!" I sighed as she forced me to drink yet another bottle of water. "For fucks sake, I'm just a little dehydrated."

"This is why I'm forcing water down your throat, so shut up and do as I say."

We were below deck, sitting on the benches in the small kitchenette. Katie had made a crude remark about what and where not to touch and unfortunately, I had a pretty good idea as to why. She was running around, doing her best to annoy me with incessant questions about how much water I had consumed and how many hours I had spent in the sun today. Even by her calculations, I shouldn't be feeling this badly but then again, little did she know that I basically got no sleep last night and that I had been feeding off of Naomi-induced adrenaline all day. The emotional rollercoaster the past 24 hours had been was finally taking its toll on me and I was exhausted. It had hit me hard and felt a lot like heatstroke and unfortunately, the alcohol Cook had provided earlier hadn't done much to improve my situation. I started shivering and Katie went out in search of a blanket or at least some warmer clothes for me.

"Emily?" Naomi's sweet voice was full of worry but all I could do was smile as I saw her stunning frame in the door. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, my teeth clattering from the shivers and she rushed to my side placing a hand on my warm forehead. It felt cool against my skin and I instantly felt better and more relaxed. I looked into her concerned eyes as she gently shook her head at me, making my heart flutter despite my pathetic state. Somehow it felt a whole lot better being fussed over by Naomi than my sister. Realizing Katie would be back soon, I needed to make the best of the situation at hand. I reached up and took hold of Naomi's neck and pulled her down for a divine kiss. The mere touch of her soft lips against mine still made my stomach flutter and if the shivers hadn't returned, I would have completely forgotten I was feeling a bit under the weather.

Naomi broke away, a worried frown on her face. "Are you sure it's only heatstroke?" I nodded and went for her lips, not knowing when I would have the chance to marvel in them again. She shook her head lovingly and sat down next to me before placing another sweet kiss on my lips.

**Naomi's POV**

I left Emily in the kitchenette when we heard Katie's voice in the stairwell. I gave her a final kiss and slithered past Katie before she could comment, the look on her face was however unmistakable. It took us more than twice as long sailing home. The wind wasn't working in our favor and Cook and I were glad that JJ was such a quick study as his help made the whole thing less exhausting. The drive home was uneventful but Katie kept a close eye on her sister and made it impossible for me to get close to Emily. She spent most of the trip asleep anyway, covered by a blanket, her head resting against the window. Kieran decided on buying everyone pizza and by the time we finally arrived at the B'n'B, it was well past nine and everyone went straight to bed. Mum was still worried about Emily and decided to spend the night in her room in order to keep tabs on her. I tried to volunteer for the job but she would hear none of it, from either me or Katie.

Emily kept insisting that we were exaggerating and refused to let Mum stay up all night just to keep tabs on her but her resistance subsided as her shivering intensified and she allowed Katie and Mum to help her to bed. I went to my room exhausted, sulking and worried sick about my favorite redhead. I lay twisting and turning for an hour or so before my own exhaustion got the better of my worry and I drifted off to sleep.

Kieran came tumbling into my room around 4 a.m. and told me to get dressed and meet him by the car. Startled and understanding that this was about Emily, I practically flew down the stairs while pulling a jumper over my head and buttoning my shorts, my phone secured in my teeth. I ran to the car as fast as I could and found Emily lying in the back with her head in Mum's lap. She looked awful, absolutely awful; pale and sweating, shivering violently despite being covered by a blanket. Mum was trying to soothe her by caressing her forehead and hair but when she looked up at me, I saw the horror in her eyes.

"Take her to the hospital in Bristol as quick as you can", Kieran told me, the horror in Mum's eyes mirrored in his. "I'll take care of the group tomorrow but make sure you keep in touch so we know what's going on." He sighed. "This is all my fault."

I shook my head as I took the car keys from his hand. "It's not, if anything, it's mine." I opened the door and got in, one final thing occurring to me, "Why didn't you wake Katie?"

"Emily didn't want me to and it would only have taken longer", Mum answered behind me and I closed the door and started the engine. "She only asked for you."

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and will stick with me, even if it might take me a while to update again. **

**I am loving writing both this story and other one and knowing that you are reading it and enjoying it, whether it is in reviews, favs of follows, is making the sleep deprivation worthwhile! Now I'm off to Down-Under!**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N – Emily is at the hospital getting help but she's kinda sick and just about everyone is worried… I wrote this chapter on a 14h flight and it is sort of a filler chapter but I promise a lot more Naomily-interaction in the next chapter, which has yet to be written, unfortunately!**

**Chapter 13**

**Naomi's POV**

I drove like a mad person off my meds to get to Bristol in less than the hour-and-a-half the drive usually took. It being four in the morning saved me some time and I only remember passing two trucks on the entire way here. I drove all the way up to the emergency entrance, ran out in search of a wheelchair and someone to help us. About half an hour earlier, Emily had stopped answering Mum's questions and had for all intents and purposes, lost consciousness. I was freaking out and despite making the trip in record time, I wasn't feeling confident that we had done the right thing by driving ourselves instead of calling for an ambulance.

They took her in immediately, several doctors and nurses working simultaneously in order to stabilize her. They asked Mum and me questions about what she had been in contact with, how fast she had fallen ill and if she was allergic to penicillin. The only thing I had been able to answer was that she had cut her back open and that she didn't get a lot of sleep last night, something that made Mum send a curious look my way. Mum filled out some forms and they moved Emily into an examination room, closing the doors behind them. I hadn't realized tears were streaming down my face until Mum pulled me in for a hug and for once, I grabbed onto her and let myself feel.

After about half an hour, a doctor with a stern look on his face came back out with some follow-up questions that neither of us could answer and Mum decided to call Kieran for advice. Emily had begged Mum not to contact her parents who were of course sleeping in their beds only miles from here but the doctors needed answers that neither of us could give. Kieran had just told Katie the news and she of course threw a fit about why no one had thought to bring her along. Once she had calmed down, she called their parents who showed up almost immediately.

Katie seemed like a silent, shy lamb compared to Jenna Fitch, who really handed it to Mum about recklessness and responsibility but Mum let her get it all out, nodding in understanding and agreeing with the accusations and accepting full blame. I really don't take after Mum because despite possibly being to blame for Emily's condition, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to speak to me the way Jenna did Mum. My attempts at defending Mum only seemed to spur Jenna on and when I started losing my temper, Mum squeezed my hand and shook her head almost unnoticeably. I suppose you have to be a parent to understand what it's like to have a sick child and needing someone to blame for it. Jenna screamed at us for about ten minutes before her husband and a boy of about thirteen, James, joined us in the waiting room. Rob was Jenna's polar opposite and I took an instant liking to him when he pulled Jenna away, hushing her and apologizing to the both of us for her verbal abuse. The boy looked half asleep but I recognized the shape of his eyes, despite their color differing significantly from Emily's dark-brown, and the curve of his mouth. She had never mentioned a younger brother but then again, we didn't really spend that much time actually talking. I made a mental note of correcting that in the future, if Emily was allowed near us again, that is. Jenna had thrown a lot of things in our faces, one of them being that Emily would not be allowed anywhere near Ogmore-by-Sea or either of us ever again.

A nurse came out and led Emily's parents and brother into the examination room in order to get the answers they needed and Mum and I went to grab some coffee.

"She's quite a character, that Jenna", Mum said with apprehension as she took a careful sip of her steaming coffee.

I rolled my eyes and let out a loud snort. "She's a bitch. Like mother, like daughter I suppose."

Mum almost spat out her coffee and looked at me, aghast. "How can you say that? Emily is one of the sweetest girls I have ever met!"

I frowned. "I was talking about Katie, Mum. She's the bitch."

"Ah!", she exclaimed, nodding. "Regardless, you shouldn't say such things, Naomi." A smile spread on Mum's lips, "but you can't really blame her, growing up with that devil woman as a role model!" I giggled along with her while we walked back to the waiting area.

Despite the two cups of coffee she had consumed over the past hour, Mum fell asleep after waiting for news from either the doctors or the Fitches. She didn't get any sleep at all last night and worrying about Emily had depleted her of any remaining energy. Falling asleep was quite the accomplishment really, since I was having trouble finding a comfortable sitting position on the hard, plastic chairs. Emily's brother had joined me in the waiting room, toying with an iPad and generally being a sulky teenager. Every now and then, I would look up and catch him staring at me, only to shy away when I smiled at him. After a little while, I noticed Rob coming out of Emily's room and I decided it was time to get some information.

"Excuse me, Mr. Fitch?" He turned around and met my eye, worry laced deep within. "How is she? Do they know what's wrong with her?" I bit my lower lip in nervous anticipation of his response.

He sighed and rubbed his face with a large palm. "She's septic. They think they've got it under control now but she was very bad off when you brought her in." He locked eyes with me and his expression changed. "I know Jenna gave you and your mother a hard time but really, thank you for being quick on your feet and getting her here as fast as you did." He patted me awkwardly on the shoulder and shot me a half-smile.

_Septic, Jesus Christ!_ I tried smiling in return but the room was spinning and I felt a desperate need to sit down. Rob must have noticed since he flexed his arm and kept me steady. "Whoa there, are you alright yourself?"

I managed to nod and sat down hard in one of the chairs. He slid down in a chair next to me and tapped me lightly on the knee. "She's a fighter, my Emsy.", he said proudly. "Always has been. What I don't get is how she got those cuts on her back." I felt my cheeks redden but Rob was lost in thought and didn't notice. "You were, there, did she try to summersault or something off those rocks? How else would she hurt her back like that?" He held out both hands in question and all I could do was shrug and pray he wouldn't notice my blushing cheeks.

We sat in silence for a few moments before he slapped himself on the thighs and abruptly got to his feet. "We are going to go get some breakfast while Emsy rests. You don't have to stay, you know." Jenna was on her way out of Emily's room, carefully closing the door behind her and he walked over to greet her with a peck on the cheek, James leaping up at the mention of food. Jenna looked our way and I managed an earnest, or at least I think it was, smile but received a sneer in response. Causing the apple of their eye to become septic was probably not the best way to make a good first impression. A lasting one, sure, but not a good one.

I glanced in Mum's direction, found her still sound asleep and pondered for a moment before rising and running to Emily's door. I cracked it open and found no remaining doctors or nurses, so I slipped in. She was lying on her side, sleeping and connected to several machines I didn't know the name of by an array of tubes and wires. I felt tears form at the sight of her, not sure whether it was guilt, worry or relief that she was at least getting the much needed help. I walked to her side and smiled at her peacefully sleeping before reaching down and brushing a few strands of red hair from her beautiful face. She stirred at my touch and opened her eyes, locking them with mine in an instant.

**Emily's POV**

If waking from what had felt like imminent death was great, waking up to Naomi's face and concerned eyes was divine. The last thing I remember was begging Gina to only wake Naomi before driving to the hospital and even though I searched my mind for memories of Naomi or of the drive itself, I came up blank. I was not even sure where I was at the moment, although the tubes and beeps from the surrounding machines were a dead giveaway that I was in a hospital bed. I smiled at her and she sat down on the side of the bed, taking hold of my hand.

She intertwined her fingers with mine and enclosed our fingers with her other hand, squeezing tight. She bit her bottom lip and wouldn't meet my eyes. She sniffled a little and turned her head away. _She's crying?_ I wanted to reach out and make her turn to me but I was too weak to move, really. I tried to speak but had to clear my throat first in order for anything to escape me.

"Where am I?"

She wiped a few tears from her cheeks and turned to face me. "Bristol. Your parents and brother are here."

"What? Why?" _Fuck! "_I told Gina not to call them." I could just imagine how my dear, sweet mother would have treated Naomi and poor Gina. She always had been short-tempered and had a desperate need for placing blame anywhere other than where it should be directed. Technically, I suppose if blame was to be placed, it would have been directed at both Naomi and me. I sighed. "Why did you call them?"

Naomi tugged a few strands of my hair behind my ear, taking a minute to gently caress my cheek. "They needed answers regarding your medical history and you were very, _very _ill, Emily, we were worried sick." I believed her, remembering how awful last afternoon and evening had been and still feeling too weak to move. "You look a little better though", she said and smiled lovingly.

I wanted to laugh but couldn't find the energy to. "Yeah, I bet I look just lovely." I managed a grin.

"You do…" Naomi's expression was as serious as ever and my grin vanished. She rose from the bed and knelt down in front of me without unravelling our intertwined fingers. She placed a soft kiss on my forehead, and I closed my tired eyes and relished in it. I felt so safe with her, like nothing else mattered and the world could end this very minute, leaving me forever in utter bliss. I felt her lips move to mine as she kissed me sweetly, making me wish I had the strength to pull her to me for more. She pulled away and I opened my eyes to find her smiling at me, a look of pure, unmistakable adoration on her face. I shivered, but this time it wasn't caused by my feverish body but by Naomi's overpowering, affectionate gaze.

The door creaked and Gina stuck her head through the opening. "Is it safe?", she whispered jokingly. Naomi nodded and given her reaction yesterday when her mum had caught us, I expected her to let go of my hand. She didn't though and instead moved back to sit on my bed. Gina came and stood by her, looking tired but relieved. "How are you, you poor, poor girl?"

I smiled and wondered at the amount of energy it took to produce a smile – right now it felt a lot like running a marathon and I would know. "Better, much better, thank you." She nodded and smiled. "I hear you've met my parents then?" I watched them both squirm and once again wished I had the energy to at least giggle.

Gina was the first to compose herself. "They are both lovely. Your brother too, of course." Naomi smothered a snort and Gina shot her an angry look. "I don't believe we made the best impression though and they seem reluctant in letting you return to the excavation."

Naomi had a shocked look on her face, "they can't do that, she's eighteen, she's an adult!" She sounded positively horrified at the idea and I couldn't help but smile and give her hand a little reassuring squeeze. She quickly composed herself, realizing she was being a bit obvious in her affection for me.

"Don't worry, they can't keep me away. Although I don't think I'll be doing much digging until I feel a little stronger." Despite enjoying having both Naomi and Gina close, I was getting exhausted from carrying a conversation, making it difficult to imagine when I would be able to hold a shuffle, let alone take that long walk up the hill to the site. "What's wrong with me, anyway?"

As if reading my mind, a young doctor entered, acknowledging Gina and Naomi's presence with a slight nod. "You, young lady, came in suffering from severe sepsis. Fortunately, you have so far responded well to the IV broad-spectrum antibiotics and your fever has already gone down significantly." He smiled and looked around at us but seemed to linger a little on Naomi. She didn't seem to notice, however, and he carried on with a somber look on his face. "We will have to keep you here for a little while for observation. It shouldn't be more than a few days and if you keep responding this well, we'll have you back to normal within the week." He smiled reassuringly and left the room, smiling once last time at Naomi and making me wish I could pull her in for a kiss, marking my territory. She remained ignorant of the young doctor's attention and gave me a bright smile.

Behind her, Gina took note of her daughter's excessive happiness and I blushed slightly as Gina's eyes fell on me, sizing me up in a different way than before. Naomi was of course blissfully ignorant of her mother's inquisitive gaze and simple kept caressing the back of my hand with her thumb, seemingly marveling at the sight of our intertwined fingers.

"Naomi, I think we should Emily get some rest now." Gina's voice was almost a whisper as she walked towards me and put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm really glad you are alright, Emily." She smiled and it seemed earnest, without malice, only displaying honest concern and relief. She left the room and let Naomi say her own goodbyes in private, thankfully.

She sat there, a crooked half-smile on her lips, as she marveled at our intertwined fingers, gripping a little harder all of a sudden. Finally tearing her gaze from our hands, she locked eyes with me and climbed into the bed. I watched in shock and awe as she climbed to the other side of me and lay down, without ever letting go of my hand. Her head rested at the cave of my neck as she pulled my into her until my back was pressed against her chest.

"I'll miss you…" She whispered as she placed soft kisses on my neck and pulled our entangled hands up to rest at my chest. "Please get better soon."

We lay like that for a few minutes before she tore herself away, hearing Gina speak loudly outside the door to my room. My own mother's voice was audible as well and I was happy to hear her use a civil tone with Gina because it meant she had already calmed down significantly. Naomi released me but not before popping up on an elbow and leaning on top of me, placing a passionate kiss on my lips. It took me by surprise and I was honestly surprised I found the energy to answer it. I savored every second of the sensation her lips and tongue once again stirred in me, locking it away to be tapped at a later time. She pulled away, her lips still slightly parted, eyes closed and a tranquil look on her face. We heard the door creak and she was up and about in less than a second. Naomi smiled politely at Mum and Dad before joining Gina in the waiting room. She looked back at me once, smiled and caused my heart to spasm, which evidently was picked up by one of the machines I was hooked up to as it started to peep.

**Those damn machines, always giving you away! This actually happened to me once, my girlfriend walked in while I was hooked up to a heart monitor, and my heart rate double when I saw her… Anywho! I will be writing on "Solving the Cancer Enigma" for the next while, so it will be a while before I upload again.**

**Thank you again for reading and for the kind words you send my way! I am forever thankful to all of you :)  
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	15. Chapter 14

**A/N – I was stuck at the apartment today without an adapter for computer and decided to spend my time with a pad and paper and happened to write a chapter for this story. I can't really think of a better way to spend an afternoon..**

** Marsupial1974 – out of all the things that could kill me down here, you tell me to watch out for kangaroos? :)  
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**Chapter 14**

**Naomi's POV**

It had seemed like the longest four days of my life. Every day, I had driven Katie to Bristol after finishing up at the site in order for her to visit her sister. Obviously, I didn't exactly mind the chance of seeing Emily myself but having to spend one-and-a-half hours, each way, alone in a car with her bitch of a sister was enough to really test my patience.

Katie had spent most of Tuesday's drive complaining about not being included in Emily's emergency on Sunday night and she was really playing the part of the worried older sister, emphasizing that it would have meant the world to Emily if we had only had the decency to wake her up. Little did she know that she was the very last person Emily had wanted to include in her fever-induced crisis and it was increasingly hard for me to keep my mouth shut as Katie continued to make my blood boil. Wednesday was spent elaborately explaining to me why this entire thing was essentially my fault and posed yet another reason she thought it best that I stay as far away from Emily as humanly possible while living under the same roof. There was of course no way of her knowing that it most definitely _was _my fault and I still felt so guilty that I had no rebuttal for Katie's accusations and simply let her get it all out of her system without argument.

By Thursday, Katie had dropped her worried act and was practically interrogating me for information on Cook. She asked me about anything and everything from his favorite food to which team he supported and what he liked in a girl. I was honestly quite surprised that she thought I would give her any information that would help her entrance my best mate further. It's not like she needed my help anyway, seeing as he was already completely smitten with her.

I had noticed Cook being uncharacteristically attentive towards her and they had spent every evening together in his shed. One morning, they both entered the kitchen through the backdoor, Katie still wearing the previous evening's clothes. They were not exactly discrete about their little fling and I suppose they shouldn't have to be either but it was pissing me off and I didn't have to ponder long and hard to come up with reasons as to why.

First of all, Cook had spent little or no time with me this week and with Emily being in hospital, I felt like I needed a friend. Finding him busy with Katie had resulted in my resorting to leaning on poor Effy in order to ventilate my concern and I couldn't exactly lay my heart bare to her, so it did me little good. Secondly, I was furious because Katie was a conceded, inconsiderate horror and the thought of having to spend even more time with her if the two of them ever decided to turn their little affair into a real relationship made me nauseous – literally. Lastly, and perhaps foremost, she still had not apologized for beating me to a bloody pulp last week and had in fact been acting like it had never happened.

Regardless, I was ecstatic that I had seen Emily every day, even though we had never had the chance to be alone. Katie was naturally always by her side and her parents and James were there more often than not. Today, however, I was alone in the car on the way to Bristol. The dig usually shut down early on Fridays and I was expecting Katie to join me in Mum's car but Kieran had insisted on taking the group back to the museum for an extensive tour. Naturally, Katie had protested, claiming that Emily had asked for her specifically to come and pick her up. Much to my surprise, Cook had stepped in and effectively shut down her protesting with a smile and a slight squeeze before leading her away. He had looked back at me once, sporting a wide grin on his face and throwing me a knowing wink before jumping in the van next to the evil twin. Despite not having spent much time with me during the week, it was no secret to him that I desperately wanted to spend some time alone with our favorite redhead.

Too eager for my own good, I hadn't bother going home for a shower and instead jumped in the car with muddy boots and generally looking quite filthy. I arrived at the hospital and had the sense to check my reflection in the rearview mirror before deciding that nothing short of a shower would fix my appearance, and leapt out of the car.

It was weird really but spending time apart had actually brought Emily and me closer. Instead of spending our time flirting, engaging in stolen glances across the excavation site or losing ourselves in hot make-out sessions, we had had actual conversations, or at least as much conversation as text-messaging would allow. She had revealed details about her family that made it easier for me to understand their dynamic as well as help me bite my tongue around Jenna. Most of all, I found it terribly amusing seeing Katie turn into a silent child around her mother and I regrettably had to admit that seeing Katie interact with the rest of her family made her slightly more likeable.

Emily often spoke affectionately about her father and it was clear as day to me that Rob kept his 'Emsy' as close to his heart as she did him. James proved not to be the shy little boy I had thought and he had spoken to me on several occasions and even called me 'babe' once and tried to, but failing miserably, wink suggestively at me. Emily had punched him when she saw it, making Rob and I burst out in laughter as James rubbed his sore shoulder while pouting and muttering to himself.

I was lost in thought and practically kicked a young man standing at the nurse's station on Emily's floor. "Christ, sorry about that!", I exclaimed as he jumped around on one leg, the other clamped in his hands, a pained expression across his face. He looked up at me and smiled as he let go of his leg and stood like a normal person.

"I'll survive", he said, smiling broadly now and I recognized him as the young doctor who had assisted when Emily was first brought in. "Although, just to satisfy my curiosity, what do you have in those boots? Iron or something?", he joked, obviously not very knowledgeable of safety issues when working with large machines.

"Yes, actually", I laughed, "they're safety boots, I have to wear them while working." He smiled warmly at me and nodded to himself.

"Well, I look like quite the ignorant fool at the moment, don't I?" He cleared his throat in mock embarrassment and held out his hand. "I'm Chris, by the way."

"Naomi", I answered and shook his outstretched hand.

"Emily's friend, right?" I nodded and eyed him curiously. _Impressive memory… _"She's being discharged as we speak, her parents are talking to my supervisor."

A sense of panic struck me. Her parents weren't supposed to be here today and I was terrified that Jenna had asserted her will and would be taking Emily home instead of letting her go with me to the B'n'B. Chris must have noticed my pained expression, even if he did read it slightly wrong.

"Don't worry, you haven't driven all the way here for nothing. They are only here to see her off safely." I let out a small sigh of relief and he smiled again. "Ah, here they come!"

I turned and was met by Emily's dark eyes, once again full of energy and when she smiled slyly at me, I felt my body respond as my stomach fluttered. I swallowed hard, collecting myself before putting on the guarded, professional smile I had grown accustomed to using around Jenna Fitch.

"Emily! Great to see you walking about", I exclaimed with so much enthusiasm I almost cringed at the sound of my own voice. I smiled warmly at both Rob and Jenna before returning my gaze to the beautiful redhead in front of me. "All set?"

She smiled and nodded eagerly before giving both her parents a hug, Rob holding on a little longer than his wife had. Emily ruffled James' hair and turned her back to me in order to allow Jenna to exchange a few final words of wisdom with her.

"She's quite terrifying, isn't she?" I felt Chris whisper behind me. "I'm thanking my lucky stars that Emily got better – I personally wouldn't want to be responsible for unleashing the wrath of Mrs. Fitch…"

Even though it was probably terribly inappropriate of the young doctor to vent such thoughts, it was nevertheless accurate and I couldn't stop a giggle from escaping me. Emily turned and frowned at me and I quickly suppressed the urge and put on a somber look and patiently waited for the Jenna to finish her final reprimand.

The Fitches followed us all the way to the car and Rob embraced Emily one last time before handing her a little care-package for the road. We finally drove away, Emily waving back at her family up until they disappeared behind a tall hospital building. She reclined the front seat a little, let out a loud sigh and turned to look at me.

**Emily's POV**

I don't know how Naomi managed to ditch Katie but I also couldn't care less. It was nice that Katie had cared enough to spend three hours in a car in order to spend one with me and I suppose it's true what they say about a crisis bringing people together. I certainly felt more loved and appreciated after this past week than I had at any other time in my life. I turned to study the features of the gorgeous girl currently occupied with getting us safely out of Bristol. Her blonde hair was braided in the usual style she wore while working but single strands had gotten loose and were whisking across her cheek and neck. It was a warm day and she was only wearing a worn top and shorts, both of them stained with mud and dirt from four days of digging.

I was very aware that things between us were moving at a rapid pace. The fact that I had known her for less than a week before ending up in bed with her, or as it were, in the ocean with her, didn't really differ from my previous sexual encounters with boys. Well, aside from having sex in the ocean - that was a first for me. No, what was moving rapidly was the way we acted around each other. Usually, I would never have had the confidence or audacity to assume that Naomi wanted me to caress her naked and surprisingly filthy arm while she drove but I nevertheless reached out and did it. Two weeks ago, I wouldn't have even thought of leaning over and placing a kiss on her exposed neck, and I most certainly would not have used every red light to pull her in for a passionate kiss that left me breathless every single time.

"You have to stop doing that", Naomi said all of a sudden, her stunning face forming a frown.

"Doing what?", I asked innocently as my fingertips brushed along her shoulder and collarbone.

"That! Distracting me", she exclaimed but didn't pull away from my caress. We had left Bristol behind us about half an hour ago and there were fewer red lights for me to take advantage of. I smirked and moved closer in order to replace my fingertips with my lips and felt her shiver slightly as my hand caressed her waistline.

"I'm serious Emily…" I could tell that she was, even if her breathing was shallow and her voice barely audible. I moved my hand from her waist and ran my fingertips along her inner thigh, starting at the knee and slowly moving my way up toward the rim of her shorts. I felt her tense up before she grabbed my hand and moved it away. I giggled and wanted nothing more than to kiss away the stern look currently glued to her face.

"I've already put you in the hospital once, I'm not doing it again by driving off the road."

I pulled away, slightly shocked at her words. Surely she wasn't being serious? "Naomi, it wasn't your fault, you know that, right?"

She looked at me briefly before turning her attention back on the road. "Of course not", she said and waved a hand at me before continuing, "I only lifted you up onto dirty, sharp rocks and pressed you against them, ripping your skin open for all the bacteria in the world to enter", she said sarcastically, obviously angry with herself.

I took her hand and was thankful that Gina's poor driving skills had caused her to buy an automatic, leaving Naomi's fingers free to intertwine with mine.

"You really do feel responsible, don't you?" She nodded and bit her lip. It was unbelievably adorable and oddly sexy.

"You were fucking _septic_, Emily, you could have died!" She was clearly upset and I felt her squeeze my hand tighter. I was fully aware of how sick I had been and honestly, I was still weak and had to continue the antibiotics for at least another seven days _and _go back to the hospital for a check-up next week.

I pulled her hand up to my lips and kissed it softly in an attempt at reassuring her. "Naomi, no one forced me to join you in the water and no one held a gun to my head and coerced me into biting my lip at the pain when the rocks tore into my skin. I could have cried out and let you know I was hurt but I didn't." I smiled at her, "I was enjoying myself too much and neither of it could have been prevented. I don't regret any of it."

I saw my words sink in and the guilty frown on her beautiful face was replaced by a look of relief. As if on cue, we reached an intersection that forced Naomi to come to a full stop. There were no other cars in sight and right as she was about to pull out, I unhooked my seatbelt and moved so close, I was practically in her lap. It was another highly uncharacteristic move on my part and a perfect example of just how confident and comfortable I was around her. This was the effect she had on me and I liked myself a whole lot better this way.

I kissed her with as much passion as I could muster from the somewhat uncomfortable and highly impractical position I was in and for the first time since Sunday, Naomi responded fully by taking hold of my face and pulling me impossibly close. Her hand moved around my waist and slipped under my top at the small of my back, effectively sending burst of electricity coursing through me.

A car had appeared out of nowhere and was honking aggressively at us. We pulled away, flustered and panting, and Naomi quickly pulled out and put some distance between ourselves and the intersection. Once we had caught our breaths, we giggled a little and I let out a blissful sigh as I put my seatbelt back on.

I did as Naomi had requested and stopped distracting her. Instead, I reclined my seat a little more and enjoyed the beautiful view on both sides; the coastline bathed in dazzling sunlight to the left and the stunning blonde on my right. The roads we were on kept getting more and more narrow and we had been driving for about an hour when I noticed the first sign mentioning Ogmore-by-Sea. We had another ten miles to go and even though I was looking forward to getting back to the B'n'B and seeing everyone again, it unfortunately also meant that my time with Naomi was coming to an end – for now at least.

Before I had the chance to contemplate whether or not I should spend the last ten miles 'distracting' Naomi, I felt her left hand brush along my thigh. She must have come to the same conclusion and was trying to spend the remaining time trying to 'distract' me from enjoying the view.

I was wearing a pair of old, worn slacks my parents had brought so her fingers were nowhere near my skin and yet, her touch made my breath hitch and my pulse race. _Thank God I'm not hooked up to that heart monitor anymore. _I was lying more than actually sitting in my seat and Naomi didn't waste any time. She surprised me by swiftly sliding a hand down the worn, loose elastic band of my slacks, brushing along the top of my inner thigh before resting her hand between my thighs. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw as her fingers started moving slowly up and down, making my head spin and my toes tingle. She wasn't doing much and the fabric of my knickers was quenching the sensation slightly and still, it was more than enough. Her touch and her mere presence yielded such power over my mind and body and I couldn't take much more without having it all.

Without allowing her to move her hand, I moved close and breathlessly whispered, "Naomi, pull over."

**Emily is one happy camper today! Can't say I blame her though.. I am working on the next chapter already, so it probably won't take too long before I update. For those of you following my other story as well, I'm tweaking the next chapter and will update soon!**

**Thanks for reading and for giving me a reason to sit with a pad and paper, making my wrist sore and loving every minute of it! Sound off in a review - they are always appreciated and a source of inspiration :)  
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